BiRKil 

LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF     | 
CALIFORNIA 


m 


m 


. 


YONE    SANTO. 


TONE    SANTO 


A    CHILD    OF  JAPAN 


n  Y 

EDWARD  H.   HOUSE 

AUTHOR  OF 

THE  JAPAr-rESK  EXPEDITION  TO  FORMOSA;"'  "  JAPANESE  EPISODES1 
"THE  KAGOSIMA  AFFAIR;"  ETC 


BELFORD,  CLARKE  AND  CO 

CHICAGO,  NENV  YORK,  AND   SAN    FRANCISCO 
PUBLISHERS 


COPYRIGHT  1888 

BY  BELFORD  CLARKE  &  Co. 

All  rights  reserved. 


TO 

SAMUEL  WILKESON: 

IN   FAITHFUL    REMEMBRANCE    OF    THIRTY    YEARS 

OF   LOYAL   AND    STEADFAST    FRIENDSHIP, 

THIS    STORY    IS    DEDICATED    BY    HIS 

OLD-TIME    COMRADE    AND 

FELLOW-WORKER. 

THE  AUTHOR, 


173  £2^ 
.25 


500 


0  O  X  T  E  K  T  S. 


I.  A  MODERN  CRUSADER . 

II.  CRUSADERS  IN  COUNCIL 

III.  A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN      . 

IV.  INFANTILE  PHILOSOPHY  AND  ETHICS 

V.  DISCIPLINE  AND  DUTY 

VI.  LIGHT  AND  SHADOW    . 

VII.  AN  UNEXPECTED  ANNOUNCEMENT. 

VIII.  THE  GOSPEL  OF  CHARITY 

IX.  THE  LAST  OF  CHILDHOOD  . 

X.  THE  BRIDEGROOM. 

XL  TRANQUIL  DAYS 

XII.  THE  GATHERING  OF  A  STORM 

XIII.  THE  COIL  OF  THE  SERPENT.        .        , 

XIV.  SHORT  AND  SHARP  .        ,        . 
XV.  FAIR  PROMISE     .... 

XVI.  TREACHERY 

XVII.  THE  STRUGGLE  OF  A  NOBLE  SOUL 

XVIII.  THE  LAST  HOPE    .... 

XIX.  DIVERGENT  PATHS      ... 

XX.  A  FRIEND  IN  NEED 

XXL  AMONG  THE  WOODS  AND  MOUNTAINS 

XXII.  ONLY  A  WOMAN     .... 

XXIII.  YONE  AT  PLAY 

XXIV.  A  PITIFUL  DISCLOSURE  . 
XXV.  THE  HELPING  HAND  . 

XXVI.  YONE'S  TRIUMPH  .... 

XXVII.  THE  CRAFT  OF  INNOCENCE  . 

XXVIII.  PRINCESS  HUNTING 

XXIX.  How  THE  PEST  CAME  TO  JAPAN. 

XXX.  CHARMS  AND  SPELLS 

XXXI.  CALAMITY 

XXXII.  DARK  SHADOWS     .... 

XXXIII.  LAST  LESSONS    . 

XXXIV.  FAREWELL.  .... 
XXXV.  REST  AND  SILENCE 


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TONE  SANTO: 

A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN. 
I. 

A    MODERN    CRUSADER. 

"  THIS  is  strange  news  we  have  about  Yone  Santo/'  said 
the  elder  Miss  Philipson,  breaking  one  of  the  pauses  which 
were  frequent,  and  seemed  inevitable,  at  her  Thursday  sec- 
ular receptions  in  the  foreign  quarter  of  Tokio,  the  capital 
of  Japan. 

"Strange  indeed,"  said  the  younger  Miss  Philipson; 
"  but  we  hope  it  will  all  be  properly  explained.  Do  we  not, 
sister  ? " 

"Certainly,  we  hope  many  things,"  responded  the  first 
speaker.  "  But,  as  I  have  said  again  and  again,  we  are  in 
Japan;  nobody  can  deny  that !" 

It  was  unquestionably  true.  Nobody  could  gainsay  the 
excellent  lady's  reiterated  declarations  that  she  and  those 
around  her  were  in  Japan.  This  was  a  comprehensive 
formula  by  which  she  accounted  for  all  the  sorrows,  evils, 
or  irregularities  of  life, — as  life  was  regarded  by  her.  If 
the  weather  interfered  with  her  favorite  pursuits,  or  with 
the  even  tenor  of  her  health,  she  was  grimly  content  to 
remind  herself  that  she  was  in  Japan.  If  servants  were 
deficient  in  intelligence  or  honesty,  still  she  drew  relief 
from  the  reflection  that  she  was  in  Japan.  Did  trades- 
men disappoint  her,  or  the  humble  populace  misunderstand 
the  eloquence  of  her  teaching  in  the  native  tongue,  or  im- 
pediments obstruct  the  course  of  her  rigid  missionary  labors, 


2  YONE  SANTO: 

again  and  always  no  explanation  was  needed  beyond  the 
fact  that  she  was  in  Japan.  Like  the  elastic  pavilion  of  the 
Arabian  magician,  it  was  sufficient  for  all  conceivable 
emergencies.  When  once  propounded,  argument  was  una- 
vailing, and  debate  became  superfluous. 

People  had  sometimes  remarked  that  the  merit  of  her 
cherished  axiom  was  not  so  manifest  when  the  elder  Miss 
Philipson's  fancies  were  of  a  less  doleful  description.  When 
the  sun  shone  with  the  sovereign  splendor  peculiar  to  the 
island  empire,  she  was  not  so  eager  to  proclaim  herself  a 
dweller  therein.  When  the  docile  and  patient  spirit  of  her 
domestic  retainers  was  amiably  conspicuous;  when,  at  holi- 
day seasons,  the  politeness  and  geniality  of  the  pleasure- 
seeking  multitude  were  common  themes  of  congratulation; 
when  the  progress  of  her  little  school  was  stimulated  by 
the  faithful  studiousness  and  the  unwearied  application  of 
the  warm-hearted  young  creatures  who  profited  by  her  rig- 
orously administered  instruction; — then  she  and  her  fellow- 
laborers  might  have  been  in  Patagonia,  or  at  the  North 
Pole,  for  aught  that  was  heard  to  the  contrary  from  her 
guarded  lips.  In  short,  none  of  the  occasional  bright  inci- 
dents of  her  lot  was  deemed  attributable  to  the  social  or 
physical  conditions  of  the  country  she  chanced  to  inhabit. 
The  shadows  alone  were  due  to  the  destiny  that  had  estab- 
lished her  "  in  Japan." 

Another  idiosyncrasy,  not  altogether  confined  to  this  lady, 
lent  distinction  to  her  character.  No  power  of  persuasion, 
no  force  of  reasoning,  could  shake  her  profound  conviction 
that  in  her  quality  of  missionary  she  possessed  attributes 
which  would  appear  preternatural  outside  of  her  sphere, 
but  which,  she  insisted,  should  be  recognized  by  all  as 
the  inherent  endowments  of  herself  and  her  sisterhood. 
Knowledge,  especially  upon  scriptural  subjects,  came  to  her 
by  intuition.  The  study  and  observation  of  the  majority 
who  surrounded  her  went  for  nothing,  because  they  were 
not  missionaries.  To  intimate  that  the  most  recondite 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  3 

erudition  could  be  trusted  in  opposition  to  her  hap-hazard 
notions  upon  any  religious  topic  would  excite  her  to  wrath 
and  scorn.  If  interrogated  as  to  the  authority  for  some  of 
her  startling  propositions,  she  would  answer — when  in  the 
humor  to  answer  at  all — that  they  were  "  borne  in  upon 
her;  "  which  impressive  utterance  was  expected  to  silence 
all  contention,  and  to  inspire  unwavering  faith.  Nor  was 
her  assumption  of  infallibility  confined  to  moral  or  intel- 
lectual considerations.  She  would  not,  perhaps,  go  to  the 
length  of  saying  that  her  pies  and  coffee  were  superior  to 
those  of  her  worldly-minded  but  eminently  practical  neigh- 
bor, the  civil  engineer's  wife;  but  she  honestly  thought  it 
was  far  better  for  her  acquaintances  to  drink,  in  her  com- 
pany, the  muddy  fluid,  and  swallow  the  heavy  paste,  of  her 
compounding,  than  to  eat  and  consort  with  the  skillful  but 
"  unawakened  "  housekeeper  next  door,  who  often  forgot 
to  ask  a  blessing  on  her  fare.  Miss  Philipson  never  neg- 
lected to  ask  the  blessing.  Circumstances  not  infrequently 
afforded  her  the  opportunity  of  invoking  grace  upon  the 
same  viands  several  times  in  succession,  but  it  was  not 
observed  that  her  refections,  even  thrice  sanctified,  attained 
a  first-class  popularity.  Nevertheless,  under  the  influence 
of  an  instinct  which  she  probably  never  analyzed,  she  was 
convinced  that  dyspepsia  within  her  walls  was  preferable  to 
good  digestion  elsewhere;  and  fully  believed  that  if  her 
visitors  were  afflicted  with  internal  discomfort  as  the  conse- 
quence of  participation  in  her  unsavory  banquets,  it  would, 
in  some  mysterious  way,  "  be  made  up  to  them  hereafter." 

Pursuing  her  theories  to  a  natural  conclusion,  she  had 
grown  to  look  upon  herself  as  legitimately  exempt  from 
many  of  the  requirements  which  govern  mankind  in  gen- 
eral, and  as  privileged  to  disregard  observances  upon  the 
prompt  and  equitable  recognition  of  which  society  is  largely 
dependent.  Remembering,  possibly,  the  "  courtesies,"  so 
called,  which  for  special  reasons  are  extended  to  the  clergy 
in  Western  communities,  she  was  disposed  to  affirm  her 


4  YONE  SANTO: 

indisputable  right  to  adjust  her  expenditures  at  a  consider- 
ably lower  rate  than  the  average.  That  she  should  prop- 
erly be  required  to  pay,  for  example,  the  current  charge  for 
house  rent,  she  could  never  be  brought  to  understand;  and 
why  the  native  or  foreign  tradesmen  declined  to  acknowl- 
edge her  claim  to  a  righteous  discount,  remained  a  prob- 
lem insoluble  by  any  process  with  which  she  was  familiar. 
"  They  would  find  it  set  down  to  their  account  elsewhere," 
she  was  accustomed  to  declare,  with  solemn  emphasis. 

In  her  dealings  with  the  simple  Japanese,  who,  while 
they  could  not  follow  her  train  of  reasoning,  were  incapable 
of  formulating  their  remonstrances,  she  adopted  the  straight- 
forward plan  of  meeting  their  demands  according  to  her 
peculiar  conception  of  what  was  due  to  herself  as  a  spiritual 
messenger,  as  well  as  to  them  as  pagan  creditors;  with  the 
result  that,  on  the  last  day  of  every  month,  something  closely 
resembling  a  riot  broke  out  in  her  back  yard,  while  her  front 
door  was  in  a  state  of  almost  chronic  siege  by  the  proprietors 
of  the  jin-riki-shas  which  she  honored  with  her  patronage, — 
these  discontented  gentry  unanimously  averring  that  the 
lady  had  hired  them  with  a  thorough  understanding  of 
their  terms,  and  with  apparent  acquiescence  in  them.  State- 
ments like  these  Miss  Philipson  did  not  think  it  necessary 
to  deny;  remarking,  merely,  that  she  invariably  proffered 
payment  sufficient  for  "a  person  in  her  position,"  and  that 
if  the  "  coolies  "  were  not  satisfied  with  what  was  tendered, 
they  would  get  nothing.  As  a  rule,  they  bowed  to  neces- 
sity; but  they  by  no  means  made  a  virtue  of  it,  for  they 
"took  it  out,"  so  to  speak,  in  jeers  and  revilings  of  no 
pleasant  character,  though  expressed  in  a  dialect  with 
which,  fortunately,  Miss  Philipson's  missionary  studies  had 
not  made  her  familiar. 

It  was  observed,  I  may  incidentally  mention,  that  these 
urgent  applicants  seldom  presented  themselves  upon  Sun- 
days. They  had  in  past  times  unwittingly  done  so,  only  to 
find  themselves  severely  rebuked  for  their  impiety,  and  to 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  5 

be  turned  away  without  further  parley  or  hope  of  satisfac- 
tion. The  lower  class,  in  her  neighborhood,  appeared  to 
be  exceptionally  well  informed  respecting  the  recurrence 
of  the  sacred  day;  allusions  to  which  fact  afforded  Miss 
Philipson  the  liveliest  gratification  of  which  she  was  known 
to  be  capable. 

II. 

CRUSADERS    IN    COUNCIL. 

THE  Philipson  Thursdays  were  always  distinguished  by 
the  introduction  of  deliberately  chosen  topics  of  discus- 
sion, which  the  visitors  were  expected  to  accept  as  "  im- 
proving," with  the  same  blind  credulity  that  was  demanded 
on  behalf  of  the  refreshments  previously  alluded  to.  On 
the  afternoon  with  which  this  narrative  opens,  certain 
observations,  more  or  less  wholesome,  had  been  exchanged 
with  respect  to  the  immediate  consequences  of  an  untram- 
meled  education  upon  the  young  women  of  Japan.  Having 
been  called  upon  for  a  contribution  to  the  debate,  I  had, 
somewhat  languidly  I  fear,  submitted  a  theory  which 
seemed  to  me  sufficiently  justified  by  observation  and 
experience,  to  the  effect  that  while  universal  culture  was 
undoubtedly  a  consummation  earnestly  to  be  desired,  the 
transition  from  ignorance  to  enlightenment  could  not  be 
accomplished  without  great  hardship  and  suffering  in  many, 
not  to  say  the  majority,  of  instances;  and  by  way  of  partial 
illustration,  I  related  circumstances  in  the  life  of  a  young 
girl  of  unusual  intelligence,  who,  after  rapidly  passing 
through  such  courses  of  instruction  as  were  supplied  by  the 
best  government  schools  in  the  capital,  and  becoming  at 
least  theoretically  familiar  with  the  gentler  conditions  of 
society  in  other  lands,  had  been  thrown  back  into  the  nar- 
row grooves  of  an  existence  which  was  no  longer  suited  to 
her,  and  in  which  happiness  must  be  forever  denied  her. 


6  YONE  SANTO: 

Having  concluded  my  brief  demonstration,  with  a  dis- 
tinct consciousness  of  failing  to  arouse  the  slightest  interest 
on  the  part  of  any  of  my  hearers,  excepting,  perhaps,  one 
of  the  younger  and  more  recently  arrived  of  Miss  Philip- 
son's  staff,  I  was  preparing  to  get  myself  quietly  away  when 
I  was  arrested  by  the  allusion,  before  quoted,  to  Yone 
Santo.  I  was,  indeed,  especially  struck  by  it,  inasmuch  as 
she,  and  no  other,  was  the  living  original  of  the  figure  I 
had  attempted  to  introduce  in  support  of  my  theory.  For 
a  moment  I  fancied  that  the  hostess  had  done  me  the  honor 
to  follow  the  train  of  my  reminiscence,  and  now  desired  to 
proclaim  her  discovery;  but  this  was  an  error. 

"And  what  of  Yone  Santo?  "  I  ventured  to  inquire. 

"Ah,  what,  indeed?"  was  the  response,  lugubriously 
intoned. 

"Nothing  disagreeable,  I  trust, — and  nothing  wrong,  I 
know,"  I  retorted,  with  some  feeling. 

"That  last  is  saying  a  great  deal,"  rejoined  Miss  Philip- 
son,  "considering  that  we  are  in  Japan." 

"Nevertheless,  I  say  it,  and  undertake  to  abide  by  it." 

"  Perhaps,  Doctor  Charwell,  the  young  person  would  do 
as  well  without  such  earnest" — 

"Such  very  earnest" — interjected  the  junior  Miss  Phil- 
ipson. 

"Yes,  sister;  such  very  earnest  support  from  a — from 
one  of  the  opposite  "- 

"  From  a  man  !  "  interposed  a  middle-aged  fellow-worker 
in  the  missionary  field;  hard-voiced  and  stern-featured,  and 
known  as  a  zealous  and  indefatigable  follower  of  one  of  the 
least  agreeable  branches  of  her  calling. 

"  Miss  Jackman  puts  it  strongly,"  said  Miss  Philipson, 
with  an  unmirthful  smile;  "but  I  suppose  plain  speech  is 
the  best." 

"  To  be  sure  it  is,"  I  replied;  "and  who,  if  not  I,  should 
speak  plainly  when  Yone  Santo's  name  is  brought  up  ?  I 
have  known  her  from  childhood,  known  her  well;  and  a 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN'.  7 

lovelier  girl,  a  nobler,  purer,  truer  nature,  I  have  never  en- 
countered. Every  woman  that  has  met  her  ought  to  toe 
glad  to  say  as  much;  but  if  no  woman  is  ready  to  tell  the 
truth  about  her,  I  shall  not  be  silent,  you  may  be  sure." 

"Whenever  I  hear  a  Japanese  woman  held  up  in  that 
way  by  a  foreign  man,"  said  Miss  Jackman,  with  stiff  delib- 
eration, "  I  feel  that  there  is  work  for  me  to  do.  Who  is 
this  Yone  Santo  ?  " 

The  labor  which  Miss  Jackman  delighted  in,  and  in 
which  she  was  fond  of  declaring  her  efficacy,  was  what 
she  called  "  reclaiming."  For  that  purpose  she  had  come 
to  the  East,  and  to  that  object  she  devoted  herself  with  un- 
tiring assiduity.  She  was  never  unhappy  except  when 
occasions  for  the  exercise  of  her  self-imposed  functions 
were  wanting;  and  there  were  times  when,  in  her  excess  of 
enthusiasm,  she  seemed  almost  to  desire  that  the  feminine 
population  of  all  Japan  might  go  astray,  that  she  might 
leap  to  the  rescue  and  "  reclaim  "  them. 

* "  Why,"  cried  the  young  new-comer  to  whom  I  have  in- 
cidentally referred,  "  isn't  that  the  little  lady  who  went 
shopping  with  me,  when  I  first  arrived,  and  interpreted  so 
beautifully  ?  I  thought  she  was  one  of  the  dearest 
creatures  I  ever  met.  I  fell  quite  in  love  with  her." 

"  Miss  Gibson,"  said  the  "  reclaimer,"  with  the  air  of  one 
to  whom  a  happy  opportunity  of  tendering  rebuke  has 
fallen  unawares,  and  is  therefore  doubly  welcome,  "  it  is 
my  duty  to  tell  you  that  your  language  is  most  improper; 
and  if  you  had  been  here  longer  and  knew  the  country 
better  I  should  call  it  indecent.  It  is  bad  enough  for  men 
to  talk  so  about  these  girls;  but  for  ladies,  and  particularly 
for  missionaries,  I  call  it  scandalous  !  " 

Miss  Gibson  was  too  lately  from  America  to  have  lost 
the  freshness  of  her  independence,  and  it  was  with  an  un- 
looked-for spirit  that  she  answered  her  assailant. 

"  Excuse  me,  Miss  Jackman,"  she  exclaimed,  "  I  believe 
I.am  not  under  your  authority  in  any  way.  Miss  Philipson 


8  YONE  SANTO: 

is  the  head  of  my  mission.  She  made  me  acquainted  with 
the  young  Japanese,  and,  as  I  said  .before,  I  thought  her 
as  sweet  and  charming  as  she  could  be,  and  so  did  all  our 
party." 

"  Yes,  Marian,"  Miss  Philipson  admitted,  rather  awk- 
wardly, "  I  did  send  her  out  with  you  and  your  friends,  but 
that  was  some  time  ago,  and  we  had  not  then  heard" — 

"  Heard  what,  Miss  Philipson  ? "  I  demanded.  "  Let 
us  have  it  all,  if  you  please.  " 

"  Well,  if  you  must  know,  Doctor  Charwell,  we  had  not 
heard  of  her  goings-on  with  that  young  Bostonian  who  is 
spending  so  much  money  here,  and  mixing  with  all  sorts  of 
people." 

"What,  Arthur  Milton?"  said  I,  in  great  surprise. 
"Why,  he  knows  her  only  through  me." 

"  Likely  enough,"  remarked  Miss  Jackman,.scenting  an- 
other exquisite  opportunity,  and  pouncing  upon  it  with 
hawkish  eagerness;  "  no  doubt,  Miss  Philipson,  Doctor 
Charwell  understands  all  about  it.  Strange  things  seem  to 
have  been  happening  in  my  absence  at  the  South." 

But  Miss  Philipson  had  reasons,  which  I  do  not  care  to 
explain  further  than  that  they  were  connected  with  my  pro- 
fessional position  in  our  little  community,  for  not  over- 
straining my  forbearance.  She  felt  herself,  as  the  head  of 
a  school,  in  some  degree  indebted  to  me,  and  was  not  un- 
willing to  lend  me  a  helping  hand,  nor  to  bear  testimony  in 
my  favor,  within  reasonable  and  cautious  limits. 

"  I  am  quite  convinced  of  Doctor  Charwell's  sincerity, 
Miss  Jackman,"  she  said.  "  I  should  not  think  of  asso- 
ciating him  with  any  of  Yone  Santo's  present  misdeeds." 

"  It  is  an  unpleasant  thing  to  talk  about,"  persisted  Miss 
Jackman,  defiantly;  "  but  since  you  force  it  from  me,  I 
must  say  I  have  very  little  to  learn  about  Doctor  Char- 
well.  I  keep  my  eyes  and  ears  open,  and  I  know  for  a 
fact  that  he  has  been  seen  to  stop  young  girls  on  the  street, 
perfect  strangers  to  him,  and — and  take  their  heads  in  his 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  9 

hands.  Yes,  and  put 'his  face  close  to  theirs,  they  do  say. 
And  I  had  a  most  promising  pupil,  last  year,  who  was  just 
beginning  to  walk  in  the  true  path.  She  fell  in  with  Doc- 
tor Charwell,  and  since  then  I  have  seen  nothing  of  her. 
You  cannot  deny  it,  sir;  it  was  Ume  Harada." 

"  Oh,  Doctor  !  "  ejaculated  Miss  Philipson,  in  woful  ac- 
cents; while  a  few  others  of  the  company  seemed  genuinely 
shocked,  and  the  majority  awaited  the  impending  revela- 
tion with  countenances  expressive  of  joyous  gloom. 

"Exactly,"  I  rejoined;  "she  was  nearly  blind." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,  and  I  don't  care,"  Miss  Jack- 
man  retorted. 

"  Pardon  me,"  said  I;  "it  may  be  that  you  do  not  care; 
but  you  certainly  know,  since  you  were  warned  that  she 
was  destroying  the  little  sight  she  had  left  by  reading  badly 
printed  books,  in  small  type,  at  your  ill-lighted  evening 
class-room." 

"It  was  the  Bible,  sir  ! "  cried  Miss  Jackman,  with  a 
ring  of  triumph  in  her  voice. 

"More  shame  to  those  who  use  it  in  such  a  shape,"  I  re- 
plied, growing  absurdly  angry  as  the  controversy  pro- 
ceeded. "  But  nevermind.  The  child  can  now  see,  almost 
as  well  as  ever.  Another  month  of  your  nightly  'darkness 
visible,'  and  the  light  of  her  life  would  have  gone  out." 

"We  are  not  ashamed  of  our  poverty,"  Miss  Jackman 
declared,  rearing  her  crest  again.  "  We  give  what  light  we 
can.  And  I  shall  now  take  steps  to  reclaim  Ume  Harada. 
She  may  not  yet  be  wholly  lost." 

"  Let  us  hope  not,"  said  I,  pulling  myself  together,  and 
making  a  better  show  of  good-humor  than  I  really  felt; 
but  you  will  leave  that  poor  girl  unmolested,  Miss  Jack- 
man. She  is  one  of  my  reclaimed,  you  see." 

"  I  shall  see  her  this  very  day,"  answered  Miss  Jackman. 

"  No,  I  really  must  protest.  You  are  aware,  Miss  Philip- 
son,  and  ladies  and  gentlemen  all,  that  there  are  methods 
of  checking  injudicious  enthusiasm,  in  extreme  cases. 


io  YONE  SANTO: 

Miss  Jackman  already  knows  something  about  consular  au- 
thority, I  have  been  told,  and  I  am  confident  that  she 
would  not  care  to  confront  it  again.  At  any  rate,  it  must 
be  understood  that  the  young  girl  is  not  to  be  persecuted 
into  blindness.  With  respect  to  Yone  Santo,  my  interest 
is  much  deeper  " — 

"  Undoubtedly,"  interrupted  the  irrepressible  Jackman, 
"  and  therefore  the  more  need  that  she  should  be  reclaimed, 
while  there  is  time.  That  is,  unless  Doctor  Charwell  pro- 
poses to  have  legal  or  consular  authority  extended  also  to 
her." 

"  Madam,"  I  replied,  with  restored  equability  of  manner, 
but  with  anything  but  serenity  of  temper,  "  as  I  know  her 
thoroughly,  I  have  no  fear  of  evil  results  from  any  ac- 
quaintance she  may  make.  If  I  did  not  know  her  so  well, 
I  might  suffer  the  sort  of  apprehension  which,  as  my  friend 
Kracken  will  tell  you,  always  possesses  American  physi- 
cians in  Italy  when  they  see  the  native  practitioners  at- 
tempting to  cure  the  miliare." 

Kracken  was  one  of  the  class  of  "  medical  missionaries," 
honest  and  well  disposed,  and  the  least  disputatious  of 
mortal  men.  He  declined  to  satisfy  Miss  Jackman's  curi- 
osity as  to  the  miliare,  whereupon  the  lady,  with  undimin- 
ished  courage,  demanded  that  I  should  give  the  explana- 
tion myself. 

"Don't  ask,"  said  Kracken,  looking  a  little  scared. 

"  Oh,  but  I  will  ask,"  insisted  the  undaunted  reclaimer. 
"Having  gone  so  far,  Doctor  Charwell  is  not  to  stop  just 
when  it  suits  his  convenience." 

"Very  well,  Miss  Jackman;  I  will  not  disappoint  you. 
It  is  believed  by  most  medical  men  outside  of  Italy  that  the 
average  physician  of  that  country  is  capable  of  treating  the 
miliare,  and  nothing  else.  Consequently,  whenever  sum- 
moned, no  matter  for  what  disease,  he  announces  a  case  of 
his  favorite  fever,  and  straightway  begins  to  talk  so  much 
about  it,  and  to  represent  it  in  so  many  interesting  lights, 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  n 

that  the  patient  soon  shows  signs  of  being  contaminated. 
Then  the  admirable  doctor  goes  to  work  with  his  conven- 
tional remedies — and  sometimes  the  sufferer  doesn't  die." 

Miss  Jackman  looked  puzzled;  Miss  Philipson,  vaguely 
alarmed.  Kracken  was  horrified,  and  so  was  I,  a  little, 
when  I  found  how  far  my  anger  had  led  me.  To  avoid 
further  temptation,  I  hastily  took  leave  of  the  hostess  before 
my  meaning  had  become  generally  apparent,  and  promptly 
retreated  from  the  scene. 

As  I  passed  into  the  street,  I  observed,  just  before  me,  the 
young  lady  who  had  tried,  with  a  few  kind  words,  to  stem 
the  current  of  prejudice  and  ill-feeling.  She  had  left  the 
house  by  a  side  door,  while  I  was  last  speaking. 

"If  you  are  not  in  too  great  haste,  Miss  Gibson,"  I 
called  to  her,  "  pray  wait,  and  let  me  thank  you  for  what 
you  said  about  my  little  friend.  It  gratified  me,  and  touched 
me." 

"  I  said  what  I  thought,  Doctor  Charwell,"  she  answered; 
<'  but  I  ought  to  be  less  forward  with  my  opinions.  Those 
ladies  are  so  much  older,  and — oh,  dear,  how  could  you  be 
so  bitter  to  that  Miss  Jackman  ? " 

"  What  she  said  was  very  bitter  to  me.  But  no  matter; 
I  am  surprised  at  my  own  roughness.  I  shall  keep  myself 
out  of  the  way  hereafter.  Her  objects  of  attack  are  mostly 
indifferent  to  me,  and  I  did  not  imagine  she  could  ever 
touch  one  of  my  tender  spots.  Nor  did  I  believe  that 
Yone  Santo  could  be  brought  within  the  reach  of  human 
malice." 

"  It  would  be  hard, "said  the  warm-hearted  neophyte,  "to 
believe  anything- — anything  unkind  of  that  sweet  little  girl. 
I'm  sure  I  should  not  know  where  to  look  for  goodness,  in 
this  country,  if  such  a  face  and  such  a  voice  "can  go  with 
wickedness." 

"  You  cannot  come  to  much  harm,  my  good  young  lady," 
I  responded,  "by  trusting  to  your  instinct  in  these  matters. 
At  any  rate,  it  is  a  better  guide  than  rusty  and  corroded 


12  YONE  SANTO: 

prejudice.  I  will  not  prompt  you  to  defy  authority,  but  I 
give  you  a  practical  old  man's  earnest  assurance  that  a  life 
like  Yone  Santo's  may  teach  lessons  of  courage,  high  prin- 
ciple, faithfulness  to  duty,  and  patience  in  adversity  to  any 
who  will  study  it.  Do  not  forget  what  I  say.  Try  to  know 
that  gentle  creature.  You  will  find  that  if  there  is  much  to 
impart,  there  is  also  much  to  be  learned,  in  association  with 
these  people." 

On  leaving  this  new  acquaintance,  I  registered  an  inter- 
nal vow  that  I  would  never  again,  no  matter  what  the  prov- 
ocation, commit  a  folly  like  that  from  which  I  had  just 
emerged, — by  no  means  with  consciousness  of  the  highest 
credit  to  myself.  Nor,  in  society,  would  I  break  silence 
upon  any  of  the  subjects  which  my  respectable  missionary 
friends  were  accustomed  to  discuss  with  a  logic  peculiar  to 
their  order  and  satisfactory  to  most  of  their  adherents,  but 
as  unwholesome  and  indigestible  to  the  laity  as  the  products, 
similarly  home-made,  of  Miss  Philipson's  kitchen.  I  may 
say  on  my  own  behalf,  that  it  was  only  on  rare  occasions 
that  I  thus  transgressed.  It  was  my  habit  to  take  advan- 
tage of  such  opportunities  for  entertainment  as  presented 
themselves  in  our  somewhat  restricted  community,  and, 
among  these,  the  Philipson  reunions  were  far  too  enjoyable 
to  be  neglected.  The  superficial,  one-sided,  and  utterly 
selfish  views  of  life,  education,  religion,  and  humanity 
which  were  there  propounded  by  well-intending  but  curi- 
ously unintelligent  and  illiterate  professors  of  a  narrow  and 
microscopic  Christianity  were  often  irresistibly  diverting  in 
their  unconscious  humor.  The  sincerity  of  these  same 
professors,  their  self-reliant  faith,  and  their  adamantine  con- 
ceit kept  them  unaware  that  concealment  of  their  spiritual 
nudity  and  squalor  was  desirable.  Totally  ignorant  that 
indecency  was  not  necessarily  confined  to  physical  ex- 
posure, and  that  intellectual  nakedness  might  also  have  its 
repulsive  features,  they  presented  such  spectacles  as,  I 
fear,  only  an  abandoned  cynicism  could  view  without  com- 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  13 

passion.  I  was  not,  I  trust,  an  abandoned  cynic,  and  many 
a  shock  of  honest  shame  thrilled  through  me  as  I  witnessed 
these  revelations  of  mental  feebleness  and  incapacity  on 
the  part  of  men  and  women  supposed  to  be  entrusted  with 
the  noblest  of  human  duties,  and  to  be  striving  for  a  re- 
vival of  the  spirit  which  animated  the  other  extremity  of 
Asia  nineteen  hundred  years  ago.  Their  word's  and  acts, 
however,  were  beyond  my  interference,  and  I  saw  no 
reason  why  I  might  not  take  my  share  of  the  amusement 
they  afforded.  But  I  had  no  wish  for  such  experiences  as 
I  had  that  day  gone  through,  and  I  forthwith  resolved  to 
encounter  no  more  temptations  of  the  kind.  The  arena  of 
religious  controversy,  as  it  was  understood  by  my  mission- 
ary friends,  should  be  disturbed  by  no  further  intrusions  on 
my  part. 

III. 

A    CHILD    OF    JAPAN. 

BETWEEN  Yone  Santo  and  myself  a  trustful  and  tender 
friendship  had  long  existed,  dating,  indeed,  from  the  first 
year  of  my  sojourn  in  her  native  land.  We  were  brought 
together  by  accident,  through  which  alone,  at  that  early 
period,  was  it  possible  for  acquaintances  to  be  formed  by 
ladies  of  Japan,  however  youthful,  on  the  one  side,  and 
masculine  visitors  from  the  distant  West,  however  aged,  on 
the  other.  I  was  passing  a  summer  month  at  one  of  the 
popular  bathing  resorts  near  the  main  road  of  the  empire, 
looking  with  eager  eye  for  fresh  novelties  to  enjoy,  when,  at 
the  close  of  a  sultry  day,  a  little  traveling  procession  en- 
tered the  courtyard  of  the  inn  which  was  my  temporary 
dwelling.  Such  miniature  caravans  were  common  at  that 
epoch,  for,  after  some  years  of  uncertainty,  it  was  finally 
understood  by  all  that  the  sovereign  had  permanently  estab- 
lished his  court  in  the  great  Eastern  capital, — therefore 


I4  YONE  SANTO: 

newly  named  Tokio,  instead  of  Yedo,  as  of  old, — and  the 
last  of  the  feudal  nobles,  with  their  numerous  retainers, 
were  gathering  to  that  centre  in  loyal  acknowledgment  of 
the  restoration  of  imperial  power,  while,  from  all  parts  of 
the  nation,  families  were  flocking  to  the  metropolitan  head- 
quarters of  their  provincial  chiefs. 

The  group  that  came  in  view  on  the  afternoon  of  which 
I  speak  was  singular  only  in  the  circumstance  that  it  was 
led  by  a  young  girl,  apparently  about  ten  years  old,— 
the  first  I  had  seen  in  so  prominent  a  position  of  au- 
thority. She  walked  lightly  and  briskly  in  advance  of  her 
norimono*,  the  ends  of  her  long  robe  being  tucked  in 
her  girdle,  for  the  disencumberment  of  her  feet.  Beside 
her  marched  a  kitten,  preternatural  in  dignity  and  gravity, 
and  wearing  the  air  of  subdued  melancholy  peculiar  to  the 
feline  race  in  Japan, — which  is  interpreted  by  philosophic 
foreigners  as  a  mute  protest  against  the  irrevocable  fiat 
that  deprives  them  of  tails.  A  few  yards  behind  strode  a 
couple  of  male  attendants,  duly  armed  with  the  conven- 
tional two  swords;  and  following  these  came  a  line  of  three 
or  four  other  norimono,  variously  occupied,  a  servingman 
of  humble  grade  bringing  up  the  rear.  The  somewhat  un- 
usual appearance  of  a  child  at  the  head  of  the  party  was 
afterward  explained  by  the  information  that  mademoiselle 
represented,  in  Japanese  usage,  the  master  of  the  family. 
She  was  the  sole  daughter  of  a  gentleman  of  Nagoya  city, 
— Yamada  Naonobu  by  name, — who  had  taken  the  journey 
in  advance  of  a  portion  of  his  household.  By  right  of  birth, 
this  daughter  had  precedence  over  aunts  and  certain  other 
elderly  relations,  to  whom,  in  domestic  privacy,  she  was 
doubtless  more  submissive  than  an  infant  of  European  line- 
age would  be,  but  over  whom,  on  public  occasions,  she  was 
expected  to  assert  the  nominal  superiority  which  was  her 
legitimate  inheritance. 

*  Norimono;  a  cage-like  box  in  which  travelers  were  formerly  borne, 
by  stout  porters,  from  place  to  place. 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  15 

I  learned,  in  course  of  time,  that  she  had  never  before 
beheld  a  foreigner.  I  also  learned  that  if  her  father  had 
been  present  to  relieve  her  from  her  burden  of  ceremony 
she  would  have  rushed  into  seclusion,  from  the  disquieting 
spectacle,  as  rapidly  as  her  little  legs  could  have  carried 
her.  But  the  sense  of  a  stern  duty  sustained  her,  and  she 
entered  the  spacious  porch,  in  which  I  was  sittting,  with  an 
unfaltering  step;  betraying  no  consciousness  of  the  prox- 
imity of  one  of  the  awful  invaders  of  her  country,  except 
by  interposing  between  us  the  barrier  of  an  expanded  sun- 
umbrella.  She  disappeared,  with  her  retinue,  and  I  heard 
no  more  of  the  party  until  the  next  morning,  when  my  in- 
terpreter casually  mentioned  that  they  proposed  resting  a 
few  days,  to  give  one  of  the  ancient  aunts,  who  was  ailing, 
the  benefit  of  the  famous  baths.  Thus  it  happened  that 
another  illustration  of  the  power  of  traditional  training  over 
natural  instinct  was  presently  afforded  me;  although  I  was 
then  too  ignorant  to  understand  the  conflict  of  opposing  in- 
fluences which  passed  before  my  eyes. 

I  was  carelessly  lounging  in  the  tavern  garden,  when  the 
little  maid  entered,  unaware  of  human  contiguity,  and 
accompanied  only  by  the  staid  and  reserved  kitten  before 
mentioned,  and  a  doll  of  uncertain  age  but  well-preserved 
exterior.  At  sight  of  me  she  would  have  retired,  after  a 
hasty  salutation,  had  I  not,  in  such  imperfect  speech  as  I 
could  then  command,  begged  permission  to  inspect  her 
proteges.  By  way  of  compensation,  I  offered  her  a  collec- 
tion of  photographs,  and,  summoning  my  interpreter,  en- 
gaged her  in  a  conversation  which,  though  formal  and 
ceremonious,  appeared  to  cause  her  no  serious  embarrass- 
ment. To  every  question  of  mine  she  responded  gra- 
ciously and  freely,  until  one  of  her  elderly  relatives  hap- 
pened to  come  upon  the  scene;  when  my  youthful  colloquist 
was  suddenly  stricken  dumb,  refusing  further  share  in  the 
conversation,  and  mutely  referring  all  subsequent  interroga- 
tories to  her  senior,  who  from  that  point  took  up  the  dialogue 


1 6  YONE  SANTO: 

with  perfect  courtesy  and  without  apparent  reluctance. 
My  immediate  impression  was  that  I  had  lighted  upon 
an  adept  in  pure  feminine  coquetry,  the  arts  of  which  may 
be  supposed  intuitive  in  the  tenderest  ages  and  the  most 
unfamiliar  climes.  Repeated  examples  of  the  little  lady's 
willingness  to  confer  with  me,  in  a  certain  grave  and  pre- 
cise fashion,  when  no  other  member  of  her  family  was  at 
hand,  and  of  her  prompt  relapse  into  silence  on  the  ap- 
proach of  any  of  her  elders,  tended  to  confirm  this  conclu- 
sion. I  am  sorry  to  remember  how  long  it  was  before  I 
discovered  the  utter  injustice  of  my  suspicion.  The  mis- 
chief that  has  been  done  by  the  readiness  of  foreigners  to 
leap  to  the  same  conviction  is  wholly  beyond  conjecture. 
The  simple  truth  is  that,  among  the  well-bred  classes  in 
Japan,  every  child  is  taught  that  he  or  she  must  be  pre- 
pared to  take  up  the  task  of  entertaining, — to  "do  the 
honors,"  in  New  England  phrase, — in  the  absence  of  those 
who  are  more  maturely  qualified  to  perform  that  duty. 
Timidity,  sensitiveness,  even  repulsion,  must  not  stand  in 
the  way  of  this  delicate  obligation.  Many  a  stranger  has 
observed,  during  his  first,  or  second,  or  third  visit  to  a  Jap- 
anese family,  that  the  daughters  of  the  house  have  shyly 
kept  themselves  aloof,  murmuring  indistinctly  when 
addressed,  and  taking  no  part  in  the  social  proceedings 
beyond  pouring  a  cup  of  tea,  or  offering  candies  and  cakes. 
Calling  again,  and  finding  only  these  daughters  at  home, — 
whereas  he  had  previously  been  received  by  the  whole 
household, — he  has  been  surprised  by  a  complete  abandon- 
ment of  the  reserve  before  displayed,  and  gratified,  we 
may  presume,  by  attentions  which  he  had  never  expected 
from  the  incarnations  of  bashfulness  he  had  encountered 
on  other  occasions.  Little  has  he  dreamed  of  the  struggle 
of  those  poor  girls  to  fulfill  with  composure  and  gracious- 
ness  the  behests  of  their  system  of  hospitality.  Still  less,  I 
regret  to  say,  has  it  ordinarily  been  his  habit  to  seek  a  rea- 
sonable and  decorous  explanation  of  the  phenomenon.  A 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  17 

custom  founded  upon  the  truest  refinement  has  been  made 
the  basis  of  theories  which  are  never  less  than  absurd,  and 
are  too  often  shameful, — although,  as  I  regard  it,  the  shame 
belongs  exclusively  to  those  whose  imagination  makes  haste 
to  misjudge  what  it  imperfectly  comprehends. 

And  so  it  happened  that  I  fancied  myself  getting  upon 
pleasant  terms  with  a  pretty  damsel  of  ten  years,  whereas 
in  truth  I  was  subjecting  her,  whenever  I  encountered  her 
alone,  to  nothing  less  than  a  species  of  moral  torture.  I 
was  interested  in  her  chiefly  because  she  was  the  only  very 
young  girl  whom  I  had  found  disposed  to  tolerate  me  at 
all.  As  a  rule,  children  of  her  sex  and  age  had  shunned 
my  amiable  advances  with  indifference  or  aversion.  I 
attributed  the  contrast  of  her  demeanor  to  a  superior  intel- 
ligence, but  it  was  really  due  to  the  superiority  of  her  birth 
and  culture.  Until  then  I  had  not  chanced  to  fall  in  with 
any  of  the  Japanese  gentry,  and  had  no  idea  that  the  rules 
of  her  training  forbade  her  to  manifest  the  feelings  which 
probably  possessed  her.  But  there  is  no  doubt  that  her  nat- 
ural acuteness  aided  her  in  overcoming  an  instinct  which 
was  merely  conventional.  Circumstances  presently  placed 
us  in  fairly  confidential  relations  with  one  another.  Her 
aunt's  illness  grew  serious,  and  my  professional  assistance 
was  found  effective  to  an  unexpected  extent.  The  malady 
was  of  a  kind  which  yielded  rapidly  to  a  specified  treatment, 
and  the  wonder  of  the  unsophisticated  Japanese  was  ex- 
treme. I  observed  that  my  little  friend,  in  particular, 
watched  all  the  proceedings  with  close  intentness.  Was  it 
to  learn,  if  possible,  some  part  of  the  method  to  be  pursued, 
in  case  of  future  need  ?  Partly  that,  no  doubt.  Indeed, 
she  afterward  confided  to  me  that  her  neko  (kitten)  suffered 
from  rheumatism,  the  consequence  of  an  infantile  calamity, 
and  she  hoped  to  gather  a  few  suggestions  for  her  playfel- 
low's relief  and  comfort.  But,  in  a  broader  sense,  she  was  a 
passionate  seeker  for  knowledge  in  every  form,  and  the 
evidence  of  what  she  considered  my  miraculous  skill  in 


1 8  YONE  SANTO.- 

restoring  her  relative  was  sufficient  to  invest  me,  in  her 
esteem,  with  marvelous  attributes  of  wisdom  and  genius. 
A  "sensei"  (learned  man)  is  always  an  object  of  respect 
in  Japan,  and  this  child  was  not  only  roused  to  admiration, 
but,  in  a  vague  way,  hoped  to  obtain,  by  communion  with 
me,  some  little  addition  to  her  own  juvenile  store  of  erudi- 
tion. Finding  me  inclined  to  humor  her,  she  attached  her- 
self to  me  with  almost  a  blind  devotion;  poring  over  the 
small  collection  of  books  I  had  with  me;  building  wild  pro- 
jects of  a  course  of  study  then  and  there  to  be  instituted; 
starting  valorously  upon  explorations  in  the  mazes  of  the 
alphabet;  groping  among  labyrinthine  numerals;  and  beg- 
ging me,  with  timid  wistfulness,  always  to  be  kind  to  her, 
and  to  help  her  in  the  hard  struggle  she  would  have  to 
make  to  get  an  education  in  her  new  home  at  Tokio. 


IV. 

INFANTILE    PHILOSOPHY    AND    ETHICS. 

SHALL  I  tell  the  story  of  Yone's  kitten  ?  Of  the  early 
adversity  which  brought  upon  it  the  premature  aches  and 
pains  from  which  the  young  mistress  would  have  studied  to 
shield  it  ?  Of  the  persecution  from  which  she  had  rescued 
it,  thus  rendering  the  little  animal — as  in  the  natural  order 
of  things — an  object  of  unspeakable  endearment  to  its  pre- 
server ?  Why  not  ?  It  will  serve,  perhaps  better  than  pages 
of  stiff  description,  to  exhibit  in  a  clear  light  certain  features 
of  the  child's  character  which  were  then  developing,  and 
which  grew  with  her  growth  as  she  advanced  toward  maturity. 

She  was  sitting  in  a  snug  corner  of  the  garden,  one 
afternoon,  chatting  confidentially  to  her  cherished  com- 
panions, when  I  ventured,  through  my  interpreter,  to  join 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  19 

in  the  conversation, — her  original  distrust  of  me  having  by 
this  time  almost  melted  away.* 

"  Which  do  you  love  better,  Yone,  the  cat  or  the  doll  ? " 

"  Ah,  which  do  I  ?"  she  answered  contemplatively,  in  the 
sweet,  silvery  voice  which  belongs  to  the  children  of  Japan. 

"  Yes,  which  would  you  rather  lose  ?  " 

"  Truly,  it  would  be  a  great  sorrow  to  lose  either." 

"  Now  tell  me,  which  will  you  give  me  for  my  own  ?  " 

No  immediate  response,  except  a  look  of  perplexity 
and  dismay,  which  gradually  passed  away  as  she  gazed  in- 
tently at  me. 

"  Ah,  the  Doctor  is  jesting." 

"Certainly  I  am  jesting;  nobody  shall  take  away  your 
treasures.  But  I  wish  to  know  why  you  are  so  fond  of 
them." 

"  They  are  my  children." 

"  To  be  sure;  and  you  prefer  the  doll  because  she  is 
older." 

"  Yes,  she  is  older — but " — and  here  she  sank  into  deep 
reflection,  as  if  the  problem  presented  difficulties  hitherto 
undreamed  of  to  her  sense  of  maternal  justice  and  impar- 
tiality. 

"  And  then  she  never  misbehaves,"  I  added,  desiring  to 
stimulate  the  course  of  her  ideas,  which  were  sometimes 
delightfully  quaint  and  fresh. 

"But  she  does;  she  often  behaves  ill.  Not  very  ill;  just 
the  same  as  neko-san."f 

"  What,  exactly  the  same  ?  " 

*  Persons  conversant  with  the  Japanese  language  need  no  reminder 
that  its  translation  admits  of  a  wide  latitude.  But  in  this,  as  in  other 
similar  cases,  I  have  endeavored  to  reproduce,  with  all  possible  exacti- 
tude, in  apposite  English,  the  thoughts  which  were  expressed  in  the 
Eastern  tongue. 

f  It  may  amuse  readers  who  are  unfamiliar  with  Japan,  as  it  always 
amuses  travelers  in  the  East,  to  learn  that  the  Japanese  suffix  of  courtesy 
which  corresponds  to  our  "  Mr."  or  "Mrs."  is  applied  to  animals  as 
habitually  as  to  human  beings.  The  dumb  inmates  of  a  household  are 
invariably  addressed  as  "  Mr.  Dog,"  "  Mr.  Cat,"  "Mr.  Parrot, "etc.,  until 
their  proper  individual  designations  are  known,  when  they  are  called 
"  Mr.  Rover,"  "  Mr.  Tom,"  "  Mr.  Polly,"  or  whatever  the  correct  name 
may  be, 


20  YONE  SANTO: 

"  Exactly  the  same.  Please  understand,  Doctor-san,  how 
unhappy  the  neko  will  be  if  he  hears  he  is  naughtier  than 
the  doll.  My  doll  must  not  be  better  than  my  kitten." 

"You  are  very  skillful  to  keep  a  strict  balance,  Yone; 
many  foreign  ladies  would  be  glad  to  do  as  much  with 
their  children." 

"  Oh,  Doctor-san,  it  is  not  real,"  she  answered,  nervously. 
"  My  doll — you  know,  my  doll  is  nobody." 

She  made  this  acknowledgment  in  a  cautious  undertone, 
pointing  stealthily  at  the  little  stuffed  image,  as  if  tenderty 
reluctant  to  wound  its  feelings.  Then,  as  I  waited  for  a  more 
intelligible  explanation,  she  began  to  cast  furtive  glances 
at  the  interpreter,  intimating,  so  far  as  I  could  guess  her 
meaning,  that  she  was  not  unwilling  to  impart  to  me,  pri- 
vately, if  it  could  be  done,  the  secret  of  her  disciplinary 
art,  but  doubted  the  propriety  of  taking  into  her  confidence 
a  third  party,  who  possibly  would  laugh  at  her. 

"Never  mind,  Yone,"  I  said;  "you  need  not  tell  me 
everything." 

"  I  think  I  will  tell  you,"  she  replied,  with  some  hesita- 
tion. "My  neko,  you  know,  is  real;  he  is  alive.  My  doll 
— my  doll  " — 

The  lines  came  into  her  childish  brow,  as  she  sought  for 
words  to  express  what  was  plain  enough  within  her  mind, 
but  which  it  puzzled  her  to  put  into  language. 

"  My  doll,"  she  continued,  "  is  neither  good  nor  bad,  if  I 
must  tell  you  the  truth.  She  is  only — my  doll.  But  if  I 
pretend  she  is  good,  then  she  is  good;  and  if  I  pretend  she 
is  naughty,  she  is  so.  But  it  is  different  with  my  kitten. 
He  is  sometimes  truly  bad  and  disobedient.  That  is  be- 
cause he  is  so  young.  But  he  is  very  sorry,  and,  not  to  let 
him  feel  too  much  ashamed  when  I  scold  him,  I  scold  my 
doll  at  the  same  time.  She  is  just  as  bad  as  I  choose  to 
have  her — and  so — I  make  them  always  both  alike.  It 
isn't  real,  you  must  understand.  It  is — I  beg  you  to  excuse 
me;  I  cannot  say  it  at  all," 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  21 

"  You  have  said  it  very  well,  Yone.  I  see  how  it  is  now. 
I  understand,  too,  why  you  cannot  decide  which  you  care 
for  the  more." 

"  Indeed,"  replied  the  child,  pleased  at  being  thus  en- 
couraged, and  enjoying  the  opportunity  of  working  out  her 
little  fable  in  seeming  seriousness, — "  indeed,  it  is  difficult. 
Shall  I  tell  you  all  ?  I  know  lam  often  very  unjust  to  the 
doll,  because,  really,  really,  she  never  can  do  anything 
wrong,  and  she  is  scolded  for  nothing,  and  I  pity  her.  But 
then  she  does  not  mind  the  scolding,  being  only  a  doll; 
while  my  kitten,  who  is  real  and  alive,  does  mind  the  scold- 
ing, and  so  I  am  obliged  to  pity  him.  What  do  you  think, 
Doctor-san  ?  I  will  pretend  they  are  both  yours.  There, 
they  are  yours.  Now,  which  is  your  favorite  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  see;  they  are  mine,  and  I  am  Yone  Yamada. 
That  is  simple  enough.  Well,  then,  the  question  is,  Which 
is  my  favorite  ?  Let  me  think;  how  long  have  I  had  them; 
when  did  1  first  get  them  ?  That  is  important,  and  I  have 
forgotten  all  about  it." 

The  child's  eyes  sparkled,  as  if  the  sympathy  and  coop- 
eration of  a  grown  person  in  her  innocent  fancies  were  rare 
and  strange  to  her  experience. 

"Oh,  I  can  tell  you,"  she  said.  "Your  father  gave  you 
the  doll,  you  know." 

"  Did  he  ?  Yes,  he  gave  me  the  doll.  But  when  was  it  ? 
I  cannot  remember." 

"Many  years  ago;  why,  you  were  too  young  to  remem- 
ber." 

"  Of  course;  and  the  kitten  ?  " 

Her  countenance  suddenly  fell.  Our  little  comedy  had 
evidently  brought  us  to  a  point  which  she  had  not  foreseen, 
and  had  perhaps  awakened  unpleasant  recollections. 

"  It  does  not  matter,  Yone,"  I  said,  hastily;  "  I  can  decide 
without  that.  Or,  let  us  remember  that  it  is  all  play." 

Again  she  regarded  me  with  one  of  the  keen  looks  by 
which  I  was  still  occasionally  reminded  of  her  inward 


22  YONE  SANTO: 

doubts  as  to  the  perfect  trustworthiness  of  the  unfamiliar 
foreigner.  Then  casting  her  eyes  upon  the  ground,  and 
seeming  to  gather  herself  together  for  an  unwonted  effort, 
she  said,  falteringly, — 

"No,  it  is  not  all  play.  I  did  not  think;  but  I  will  tell 
you  about  the  kitten." 

"Indeed,  you  shall  not,"  I  answered.  "Come,  we  will 
talk  of  something  else." 

"But  I  must,  Doctor-san;  it  is  right.  I  do  ask  you  to 
hear  me." 

The  decision  in  her  countenance  was  remarkable,  for  so 
young  a  child.  She  was  plainly  resolved  to  relate  some- 
thing which,  however  painful,  she  considered  it  her  duty  to 
impart  without  reserve. 

"It  was  in  the  third  month,"  she  began,  "and,  as  my 
father  was  about  to  leave  Nagoya,  we  were  all  going,  one 
day,  to  kneel  at  the  graves  of  our  family,  in  the  Soken 
burial-ground.  We  had  nearly  reached  the  gate,  when  I 
saw,  on  the  other  side  of  a  moat,  many  boys,  jumping,  and 
shouting,  and  throwing  things  into  the  water.  Then  I 
looked  closely,  and  saw  a  small  kitten — this  kitten — my 
kitten — climbing  slowly  up  the  steep  stone  side.  The  boys 
caught  it,  and  threw  it  far  away  into  the  water  again.  Oh, 
Doctor-san,  I  did  not  think  what  I  was  doing.  It  was  very 
wrong,  but  I  ran  across  a  bridge,  screaming  and  screaming 
again.  Some  of  the  boys  ran  away,  some  threw  stones 
worse  than  before;  they  would  not  heed  me,  and  so  I — I— 
the  moat  is  not  deep  at  all,  and  " — 

"I  see,  my  child;  you  went  in  and  saved  the  poor 
kitten." 

"  It  was  wrong,"  she  said,  in  a  voice  scarcely  above  a 
whisper. 

•*  Wrong !  "  exclaimed  I.     "  How  can  you  say  so  ? " 

"  I  spoiled  my  dress,  and  could  not  go  with  the  others  to 
kneel  before  our  graves." 

"But  wrong?     Think  again,  Yone." 


A  CH2LD  OF  JAPAN*.  23 

"  I  cried  out  in  the  street,  and  disobeyed  my  grand- 
mother." 

"  But  you  saved  the  kitten's  life.  Consider.  Would  you 
not  do  the  same  again  ?" 

She  looked  around  her  timorously,  and,  seeing  that  none 
of  her  own  people  were  near,  answered, — 

"  I — am — afraid — I  would;  but  I  am  not  a  good  girl." 

I  peered  into  her  big  dark  eyes,  to  find  if  I  could  detect 
any  sign  of  affectation  or  pretense,  but  there  was  none. 
Her  self-depreciation  was  undoubtedly  sincere. 

"  Tell  me,  Yone,  do  you  think  it  wrong  to  do  a  kind 
thing?" 

"  No,  oh  no;  but  I  ran  away  from  my  father." 

"  Were  you  not  glad  to  get  this  pretty  pet,  all  to  your- 
self?" 

"Truly,  yes;  but  my  best  dress  was  torn  and  spoiled." 

"  What  is  that,  compared  with  your  beautiful  kitten  ? " 

"Nothing,  to  me;  oh,  nothing.  But  my  grandmother 
said  I  did  not  respect  our  dead." 

"  Tell  me  what  happened  next,  Yone." 

"  It  was  not  much.  Grandmother  told  me  to  throw  the 
cat  away,  but  I  believe  I  cried  very  loud,  and  my  father  said 
I  might  take  it  home,  and  he  would  decide  afterward.  I 
went  quickly  back,  and  when  they  returned  the  neko  was 
clean  and  almost  dry.  Grandmother  was  still  much  dis- 
pleased, but  my  father  was  smiling  and  gentle.  He  had  been 
talking  with  the  good  priest  at  Soken-ji,  who  asked  where 
I  was,  and  why  I  was  not  with  them.  When  he  heard  the 
reason,  he  told  my  father  that  our  dead  fathers  and  mothers 
would  not  be  angry  with  me  for  saving  the  kitten  from 
being  killed,  instead  of  going  to  bow  before  their  tombs. 
And  the  kind  priest  sent  me  a  present." 

"What  was  it,  Yone?" 

"  I  do  not  know;  grandmother  said  I  must  not  have  it. 
I  never  saw  it." 

"  Indeed  !     An  interesting  old  lady,  I  should  judge." 


24  YOKE  SANTO: 

"  Yes,  she  is  very  wise, — wiser  than  anybody.  And  she 
was  willing,  after  all,  that  I  should  keep  the  kitten." 

"Ah,  that  is  better." 

"  At  first  she  was  not  willing,  but  my  father  thought  we 
might  decide  by  the  wishes  of  the  greater  number.  We 
were  five,  all  together,  and  he  began  by  saying  he  believed 
we  need  not  send  the  kitten  away.  That  was  one  for  me, 
and  I  was  grateful  to  my  good  father.  It  seemed  that  per- 
haps he  thought  my  aunts,  or  one  of  them,  would  follow 
him.  But  grandmother  was  very  positive,  and  the  aunts 
were  both  obliged  to  agree  with  her.  Then  my  father  said, 
«  Yone,  we  are  only  two  against  three.  I  am  afraid  the 
neko  must  go.'  I  said  that  if  he  went,  so  little  and  so 
weak,  he  would  surely  die.  I  know  my  father  was  sorry, 
for  he  answered,  '  If  we  had  only  been  two  against  two,  or 
three  against  three,  it  would  be  different.'  Then  I  kneeled 
to  my  father,  and  begged  him  to  listen.  I  said,  <  Oh, 
father,  it  is  so  hard  to  think  of,  that  we  must  send  the  suf- 
fering, trembling  creature  out  to  die.  Forgive  your 
daughter  if  she  dares  to  ask  you  who,  of  all  that  live  and 
breathe  now  in  this  room,  is  the  most  concerned  in  your 
judgment;  who  must  feel  it  the  most  deeply;  who  will  suffer, 
or  rejoice,  the  most/  'Why,  truly,'  he  said,  '  that  is  easy 
to  answer:  it  is  the  cat,  and  no  other.'  Then  I  bowed 
down  again,  and  said,  '  In  that  case,  if  it  please  you,  we  are 
three  against  three,  for  surely  the  cat  has  no  wish  to  go, 
and  it  is  just  that  his  opinion  should  be  taken  with  the 
rest.'  My  father  laughed,  and  looked  as  if  he  would  con- 
sent, but  grandmother  said  quickly,  '  No,  no,  the  cat  has  no 
voice! '  At  that  moment,  suddenly,  the  poor  animal,  who 
was  in  my  arms,  began  to  cry  out  and  make  a  great  noise, 
and  my  father  laughed  more  and  more,  and  said  that 
everything  was  settled;  I  might  have  my  wish.  Then  he 
left  us  immediately,  and  grandmother  did  not  object  any 
more." 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  25 

"Why,  it  was  quite  a  miracle,"  said  I,  affecting  great 
astonishment. 

"  What  is  a  miracle  ? "  asked  Yone. 

I  explained  as  well  as  I  could,  at  the  same  time  highly 
eulogizing  the  kitten's  instinct. 

"  No,"  said  Yone,  with  cautious  deliberation, — "no;  I  do 
not  think  it  was  a  miracle." 

"At  any  rate,  it  was  a  remarkable  coincidence." 

"What  is  that?"  again  demanded  the  child. 

With  somewhat  greater  difficulty, — the  interpreter  being 
here  at  a  loss,  and  even  the  dictionaries  affording  us  no 
guidance  ("coincidence"  being  a  word  for  which  there  was 
then  no  Japanese  equivalent), —  I  made  this  also  plain, 
causing  her  once  more  to  ponder  earnestly. 

"  I  do  not  think,"  she  presently  observed,  with  an  air  of 
graver  solemnity  than  she  had  yet  displayed,  although  the 
story  had  been  told  throughout  with  the  dolorousness  of  a 
penitential  confession, — "  I  do  not  think  that  it  was  a 
remarkable  co — co — co — " 

"  Never  mind  the  foreign  polysyllable,  my  young  philol- 
ogist. It  was  fortunate,  at  least,  that  your  kitten  took  just 
that  opportunity  to  make  himself  heard." 

"Yes,"  she  admitted,  "it  was  fortunate — it  was  fortunate 
— and — I  think  I  will  not  speak  any  more  now,  if  you 
please." 

Her  voice  was  steady,  but  I  could  see  tears  gathering  in 
her  eyes.  So,  to  shield  her  from  observation,  I  sent  my 
translator  away,  and,  after  addressing  a  few  instructive  re- 
marks to  the  doll,  withdrew  myself  to  a  distant  corner, 
screening  my  little  friend  from  my  own  scrutiny  by  means 
of  a  newspaper. 

About  a  quarter  of  an  hour  after,  she  crept  to  my  side, 
with  her  kitten  under  one  arm,  and — of  all  unexpected 
things — my  copy  of  Hepburn's  Dictionary  under  the  other. 
Laying  the  volume,  wide  open,  upon  my  knee,  she  pointed 
to  a  Japanese  character  which  she  had  laboriously  hunted 


26  YONE  SANTO: 

up, — evidently  with  the  desire  to  escape  the  interpreter's 
intervention, — and  lifted  her  woebegone  face  in  pathetic 
appeal  to  my  comprehension,  softly  repeating  with  her  lips 
the  word  which  she  indicated  with  her  finger.  The  trans- 
lation was  "To  take  between  the  ends  of  the  fingers;  to 
take  a  pinch."  Having  read  this,  I  turned  for  further  elu- 
cidation, which  she  supplied  by  transferring  her  hand  from 
the  book  to  her  living  burden,  and  nipping  its  flesh  so  vig- 
orously as  to  call  forth  an  eloquent  wail  of  astonishment 
and  remonstrance. 

Nothing  could  be  clearer.  The  timely  feline  outcry  at 
the  critical  instant  of  the  creature's  fate  was  not  a  miracle, 
nor  yet  a  strange  coincidence.  It  was  the  natural  effect  of 
a  lucky  inspiration  on  the  child's  part, — that  was  all.  Per- 
ceiving that  she  had  made  herself  understood,  she  nodded 
her  head  several  times,  with  a  seriousness  which  checked 
my  impulse  to  laugh  at  the  disclosure;  tried  to  fall  on  her 
knees,  until  I  managed  to  convince  her  that  such  abasement 
was  superfluous;  and  finally  divining  that  she  had  not  en- 
tirely forfeited  my  good-will  by  her  revelation,  took  herself 
and  her  playmates  away,  still  smiling  mournfully,  but  cer- 
tainly less  dejected  than  she  had  been  at  any  time  since 
my  untoward  question  as  to  the  origin  of  her  relations  with 
the  neko-san-. 

Who  could  resist  these  pretty  and  touching  evidences 
of  simplicity  and  candor  ?  It  was  a  pleasant  study  to  trace 
the  current  of  the  child's  ingenuous  thoughts,  and  endeavor 
to  accompany  her  through  the  various  perplexities  in  which 
her  mind  had  wandered.  I  failed  entirely,  as  I  afterward 
learned,  in  fathoming  the  actual  depth  of  her  emotions,  but 
my  inferences  were  at  least  in  the  right  direction.  In 
truth,  her  sensitive  soul  was  painfully  agitated  by  the 
struggles  of  timidity,  apprehension,  and  harsh  necessity 
created  by  her  recollection  of  the  kitten's  rescue  and  its  at- 
tendant incidents.  That  she  must  tell  me  all  that  had  hap- 
pened, having  once  opened  the  subject,  she  did  not  allow 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  27 

herself  to  question;  notwithstanding  that  the  recital  would 
fill  her  with  an  agony  of  mortification,  possibly  subject  her 
to  fresh  penalties,  and  almost  inevitably  deprive  her  of  my 
aid  in  her  future  studies.  For  she  never  doubted  the  strict 
justice  of  her  grandmother's  verdict,  and  fully  anticipated 
that  I  would  view  her  conduct  with  similar  censure.  She 
was  not  a  good  girl;  she  had  committed  grievous  faults, 
which  she  was  compelled  to  lay  open  to  the  inspection  of 
one  who,  though  kindly  disposed  toward  her,  was  almost  a 
stranger.  The  very  goodness  and  generosity  he  had 
shown  made  it  the  more  imperative  that  she  should  conceal 
nothing.  To  deceive  him  would  be  a  darker  shame  than  to 
suffer  the  consequences  of  her  misdeeds.  Hardest  of  all, 
she  must  tell  her  tale  through  the  cold  and  unsympathetic 
medium  of  an  interpreter.  Nevertheless,  it  was  her  duty. 
It  would  be  difficult  to  look  me  in  the  face,  after  the  dis- 
closure; but  if  she  left  me  in  ignorance,  she  could  not  look 
me  in  the  face  at  all.  Yet  how  to  convey  the  terrible  avowal 
of  her  culminating  fraud, — the  strategic  pinch  which  her 
grandmother  still  refused  to  condone  ?  No  interpreter  could 
be  trusted  with  that  guilty  secret.  Hence  her  reliance  upon 
the  dictionary,  with  the  subsequent  touch  of  pantomime. 
I  was  glad,  in  later  years,  to  remember  that  I  had  not 
laughed  at  her,  as  was  my  impulse  at  the  time.  In  her 
overwrought  state,  anything  like  mirth,  however  good- 
natured,  would  have  cut  her  to  the  quick,  and  probably 
gone  far  to  break  up  the  confidence  she  had  begun  to  ex- 
tend to  me. 

It  was  long  before Yone  could  bring  herself  to  regard  her 
act  of  natural  tenderness  and  humanity  in  the  proper  light; 
and,  during  the  whole  of  her  girlhood,  her  faith  in  the  right- 
eousness of  the  aged  relative's  judgment  remained  un- 
shaken. What  child  of  her  years,  in  Japan,  would  dream 
of  doubting  the  infallibility  of  a  parent  or  a  grandparent  ? 
Any  attempt  to  disturb  her  convictions  on  this  point  would 
have  startled  her  beyond  measure,  and  would  have  severely 


28  YONE  SANTO  - 

strained,  if  not  severed,  the  pleasant  ties  that  held  us  to- 
gether during  that  summer  sojourn  in  the  country.  I  left 
her  in  the  enjoyment  of  an  illusion  which  she  never  ceased 
to  cherish  until  it  was  forcibly  dispelled  by  the  torturing  ex- 
periences of  her.  later  life.  It  was  a  great  concession,  for 
her,  to  accept  the  indirect  consolation  I  offered.  Beyond 
that  limit  she  did  not  desire  to  be  comforted. 

The  subject  was  referred  to  only  once  again,  in  those 
days.  She  began  the  morning  which  followed  her  awful 
revelation  by  sedulously  avoiding  me.  As  I  made  no  ad- 
vances, she  presently  came  shyly  hovering,  looking  at  me 
over  her  shoulder,  or  from  places  of  imaginary  conceal- 
ment, such  as  the  corners  of  the  house,  or  clusters  of 
bushes,  or  adjacent  hedges.  Next,  she  drew  near,  a  picture 
of  bashful  diffidence,  and  waited  for  opportunities  of  at- 
tempting slight  services,  like  brushing  a  fallen  leaf  from 
my  table,  or  picking  up  a  paper  which  the  wind  had  blown 
away.  The  performance  of  these  afforded  her  such  satis- 
faction that,  out  of  pure  charity,  I  was  constrained  to  drop 
a  knife  or  a  pencil,  now  and  then,  for  the  sole  purpose  of 
allowing  her  to  replace  them.  When  my  interpreter  came 
to  join  me,  she  disappeared  with  celerity;  but  finding  that 
her  flight  attracted  no  notice,  she  instituted  a  series  of 
irregular  approaches,  until,  having  reached  a  spot  some  two 
or  three  yards  in  front  of  me,  she  assumed  a  statue-like 
immobility,  never  stirring  for  half  an  hour,  but  keeping  her 
big  appealing  eyes  fixed  upon  me  all  the  while,  and  speak- 
ing volumes  without  uttering  a  word. 

'  "  Bless  the  child,"  said  I  to  myself,  after  I  had  endured 
it  as  long  as  possible;  "  she  will  throw  me  into  a  fit." 

I  closed  my  books,  and  leaned  back,  as  if  the  morning's 
work  were  ended.  Soon  she  stepped  nearer,  and  intimated, 
humbly,  that  if  I  were  at  leisure  she  would  like  to  ask  a  few 
questions  about  America.  Everything  was  different  from 
Japan,  was  it  not  ?  All  the  birds  could  sing,  and  the  flow- 
ers all  smelled  sweet,  and  the  cats  had  tails.  Yes,  she 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  29 

knew  that;  and  the  children, — they  were  always  good,  of 
course.  What,  not  better  than  in  Japan  ?  Then,  if  they 
sometimes  did  wrong,  would  their  friends  forgive  them  ? 
All  this  tended  one  way,  and  I  found  means  to  convince 
her  that  she  had  not  sunk  irretrievably  in  my  esteem;  that 
I  was  in  no  degree  less  fond  of  her  than  before;  and,  in 
spite  of  her  fears  and  anxieties  on  this  last  point,  that  I 
would  keep  my  promise,  in  case  we  should  meet  in  Tokio, 
and  help  her,  if  it  were  possible  for  me  to  do  so,  in  the  great 
object  of  her  aspirations,  the  attainment  of  learning. 

Only  a  little  child,  and  perhaps,  so  far  as  I  was  con- 
cerned, only  a  pretty  playfellow  for  a  few  idle  days;  but  a 
child  in  whose  future  it  was  impossible  not  to  feel  a  deep 
and  genuine  interest.  I  asked  myself  if  the  strange  com- 
bination of  shrinking  humility  and  high  ambition;  naive 
simplicity  and  bright  intelligence;  timidity  so  extreme  that 
neither  her  sex  nor  her  youth  could  fairly  account  for  it,  yet 
above  which  she  rose  dauntlessly  when  sustained  by  her 
resolute  sense  of  duty,  and  courage  sufficient  at  the  mo- 
ment of  need  to  conquer  her  girlish  fear,  and  blind  her  to 
consequences  which  could  be  forgotten  only  in  the  heat  of 
a  noble  impulse, — I  asked  myself  if  this  conjunction  of  di- 
verse qualities  were  the  possible  effect  of  an  Eastern  train- 
ing, the  result  of  the  Japanese  system  of  social  and  domes- 
tic culture,  to  be  found  whenever  sought  for;  or  if  accident 
had  brought  me  in  contact  with  a  child  of  exceptional  en- 
dowments, upon  whom  artificial  methods  of  education  had 
thus  far  made  little  impression,  and  whose  generous  nature 
had  been  trammeled,  rather  than  helped  forward,  by  con- 
ventional practices.  In  any  case,  I  earnestly  desired  to 
watch  her  course  toward  womanhood,  and  should  have 
been  glad  to  constitute  myself  her  guide,  if  no  better  were 
at  hand,  during  her  years  of  study.  I  hoped  that,  at  the 
least,  I  might  enjoy  the  privilege  of  offering  such  aid  and 
encouragement  as  should  clear  away  what  I  then  considered 
— with  the  ignorance  of  a  novice  in  the  land — the  most 
formidable  obstacles  from  the  path  she  longed  to  pursue. 


30  YONE  SANTO: 


V. 


DISCIPLINE    AND    DUTY. 

BUT  Tokio  is  a  large  city,  a  huge  congeries  of  ill-con- 
nected, unnamed  thoroughfares,  in  which  the  most  deter- 
mined search  for  casual  friends  might  be  defeated;  and 
while  I  always  looked  forward  to  a  renewal  of  acquaintance 
with  the  little  lady,  I  was  too  busily  occupied  with  impor- 
tant duties  to  allow  myself  time  for  possibly  futile  explora- 
tion. Neither  she  nor  any  of  her  party  had  known  pre- 
cisely where  they  would  reside,  and,  though  I  had  given 
them  my  own  address,  it  appeared  that  they  were  in  no 
eagerness"  to  avail  themselves  of  it.  Had  not  her  father 
belonged  to  the  true  and  ancient  gentry,  the  chances  are 
that  we  should  never  have  met  again;  but  to  one  of  that 
punctilious  order,  the  necessity  of  sooner  or  later  acknowl- 
edging a  service  rendered  was  as  peremptory  as  a  fixed 
law  of  nature. 

Some  weeks  after  my  return  to  the  capital,  therefore,  I 
was  called  upon  by  a  gentleman  of  polished  and  engaging 
manners,  whose  errand  was  to  thank  me  for  saving  his  sis- 
ter from  otherwise  inevitable  death, — so  he  was  pleased  to 
put  it, — and  to  feebly  indicate  the  depth  of  his  gratitude 
by  depositing  in  the  hands  of  my  servant  a  small  basket 
of  eggs.  I  gave  him  such  welcome  as  I  could,  offering  him 
sundry  refreshments,  which  he  not  only  enjoyed  in  his  own 
person,  but  several  specimens  of  which  he  begged  permis- 
sion to  carry  away  with  him,  for  the  gratification  of  his 
household.  There  was  nothing  unusual  in  this  proceeding. 
It  was  quite  in  accord  with  Japanese  etiquette.  Nor  was 
there  much  to  be  wondered  at  in  his  frank  avowal  that  the 
cakes  and  sandwiches  would  be  a  rare  and  gladdening  treat 


A   CHILD  OF  JAP  A  iV.  31 

to  the  ladies  at  home,  old  and  young;  for  poverty  entails 
no  shame,  in  the  estimation  of  these  people,  and  though  it 
would  go  very  hard  with  a  gentleman  in  difficulties  before 
he  could  ask  assistance,  or  even  accept  it,  unless  in  the 
direst  stress,  he  would  know  of  no  reason  for  concealing 
his  situation,  or  refusing  to  discuss  it  with  the  careless 
gayety  characteristic  of  an  improvident  race.  With  many 
pleasant  expectations,  I  speedily  returned  the  call,  and  was 
greeted  with  the  seemingly  cordial  effusion  which  almost 
invariably  accompanies  Japanese  hospitality,  even  when  ex- 
tended to  a  foreigner  by  those  uncompromising  believers 
in  early  principles  who  still  nourish  the  distrust  and  sus- 
picion which  prevailed  in  their  youth.  Little  Yone  would 
have  remained  in  the  background,  obedient  to  the  usage 
hitherto  explained,  had  I  not  drawn  her  forth,  and  es- 
pecially questioned  her  with  reference  to  the  school  pros- 
pects. Alas,  they  were  dim  enough,  and  her  heart  was 
heavy  with  the  conviction  that  the  hopes  she  had  so  hap- 
pily cherished  could  never  be  realized.  Education  was 
costly,  under  the  most  moderate  teachers,  unless  one  could 
enter  a  government  college;  and  to  gain  admission  to  one 
of  these,  great  interest  was  needed.  The  worthy  father 
explained  that  in  the  civil  war,  a  few  years  earlier,  the  clan 
to  which  he  belonged,  that  of  Owari,  had  been  on  the  losing 
side;  and  his  daimio,  though  not  directly  involved  in  the 
struggle,  was  destitute  of  influence  at  the  capital,  and  could 
give  no  help  to  an  humble  retainer,  even  in  so  small  a 
matter  as  this. 

"  Yone  will  not  repine,"  said  the  head  of  the  Yamada 
household;  "  she  knows  we  would  indulge  her  if  we  could, 
but  the  little  power  we  once  had  is  gone,  and  food  is  more 
necessary  than  learning,  after  all,  is  it  not,  my  child  ?  " 

"  My  father  knows  best,"  answered  the  girl,  with  a  sigh 
in  which  the  faintest  breath  of  skepticism  might  have  been 
thought  to  mingle,  if  such  a  thing  as  distrust  of  the  pater- 
nal wisdom  could  have  held  a  place  in  that  loyal  little 


32  YONE  SANTO: 

mind.  As  it  was,  the  instinct  of  submission  to  authority 
forbade  her  to  enter  upon  a  calculation  of  the  relative  dis- 
advantages of  ignorance  and  starvation. 

It  was  my  privilege,  however,  to  avert  the  disappoint- 
ment to  which  she  had  begun  to  resign  herself.  The 
position  which  I  had  been  called  to  Japan  to  hold  gave  me 
a  temporary  control  over  minor  educational  affairs,  and 
without  much  difficulty  I  obtained  permission  for  the  child 
to  enter  the  best  of  the  national  schools  for  her  sex, — an 
establishment  recently  opened  for  the  study  of  the  English 
language,  a  knowledge  of  which  might  lead,  in  various 
ways,  to  future  advancement.  Wishing  to  enjoy  a  bit  of 
dramatic  effect,  I  disclosed  nothing  of  my  action  until  the 
matter  was  arranged,  when  I  visited  my  protegee,  and  quietly 
handed  her  the  certificate  of  admission.  I  had  quick  cause, 
however,  to  regret  having  planned  a  surprise  the  conse- 
quences of  which  I  had  not  properly  calculated.  It  was 
plain  that  I  had  been  misled  by  the  girl's  self-imposed 
calmness,  and  had  failed  to  discern  the  powerful  springs  of 
emotion  that  were  hidden  beneath  her  superficial  com- 
posure. She  read  the  document,  at  first,  without  under- 
standing its  meaning,  or  probably  regarding  it  only  as  a 
barren  form  or  blank,  possessing  no  validity  or  purpose. 
But  as  she  continued  to  gaze,  its  bearing  upon  her  own 
fortune  became  visible,  and,  like  a  flash,  she  saw  the  reali- 
zation of  her  dearest  desire. 

With  a  wild  glance  she  turned  to  me  for  confirmation, 
and,  reading  it  in  my  face,  she  suddenly  grew  pale,  and 
trembled  so  violently  that  I  ran  in  alarm  to  support  her. 
She  labored  to  maintain  the  outward  equanimity  which  is 
cultivated  by  well-bred  Japanese,  but  her  girlish  strength 
was  overtaxed,  and  she  began  to  gasp  and  sob  convulsively, 
though  without  tears,  as  if  overcome  by  an  unexpected 
physical  inability  to  fight  against  her  frailty.  For  a  mo- 
ment I  was  as  much  frightened  as  her  relations,  ignorant  of 
the  cause  of  this  agitation,  were  amazed;  but  she  presently 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  33 

clasped  her  slender  arms  about  her  delicate  body,  as  if 
determined  thus  to  impose  tranquillity  upon  herself.  She 
did,  indeed,  succeed  in  controlling  her  excitement  in  a 
marvelously  short  time,  and,  as  soon  as  she  could  move 
without  betraying  further  weakness,  she  lifted  the  precious 
paper  to  her  forehead,  and  then,  sinking  upon  her  knees, 
bowed  herself  to  the  ground  before  me,  in  token  of  a 
thankfulness  which  she  did  not  venture  to  convey  in 
speech. 

Unfortunately,  Yone's  sentiments  were  not  shared  by 
the  majority  of  those  around  her.  The  father,  who  had  a 
better  perception  of  the  benefits  of  foreign  culture  than,  at 
that  period,  most  of  his  class,  and  who,  in  his  way,  was  an 
affectionate  parent,  was  genuinely  gratified  at  the  oppor- 
tunity thus  opened,  although  beset  by  many  misgivings  as 
to  the  added  expense  that  would  fall  upon  the  family.  If 
Yone's  mother  had  been  alive,  the  child  would  assuredly 
have  had  one  unfaltering  advocate  on  her  side,  but  of  this 
source  of  comfort  and  support  she  had  been  deprived  in 
her  earliest  infancy.  Her  aunts  looked  at  the  question 
chiefly  from  the  standpoint  of  domestic  economy,  not  only 
foreseeing  the  need  of  extra  disbursements,  but  misliking, 
also,  the  prospect  of  a  daily  absence  which  would  lessen 
the  value  of  her  home  industry,  and  perhaps  necessitate 
additional  outlay  in  the  form  of  wages  for  a  servant.  The 
grandmother,  heartily  coinciding  in  this  latter  view,  was 
furthermore  stimulated  to  opposition  by  a  blind  hostility  to 
alien  ideas  of  every  description.  Habits  of  thought, 
methods  of  education,  the  entire  scheme  of  Western  life, 
were  all  odious  to  her.  And  the  influence  of  a  grandmother 
is  so  potent  in  the  discipline  of  a  Japanese  home  that,  but 
for  the  suddenness  of  my  announcement  and  the  immedi- 
ate ratification  of  the  plan  by  Yamada  the  sire,  she  might 
have  found  means  to  prevent  its  consummation  entirely.  In 
one  sense,  therefore,  and  possibly  the  most  important  one, 
my  little  coup  de  theatre  had  been  a  happy  inspiration. 


34  YONE  SANTO: 

Yamada,  carried  away  by  his  daughter's  pathetic  demonstra- 
tion, had  distinctly  given  his  sanction,  and  it  was  not  then 
possible — as  it  would  not  have  been  in  any  case  becoming, 
while  I  was  present — for  the  women  of  the  family  to  sig- 
nify disapproval  of  a  proffer  which  was  obviously  inspired 
by  friendliness  and  sincerity  of  heart. 

It  was  fortunate  for  Yone's  aspirations,  as  well  as  for  my 
peace  of  mind,  that  I  was  left  in  ignorance  of  their  dissat- 
isfaction. Years  passed,  indeed,  before  I  learned  the  full 
extent  of  their  objections,  and  of  their  power  to  make  their 
displeasure  felt.  But  I  saw  enough  of  what  was  in  their 
minds  to  make  me  urge  that,  as  the  plan  was  of  my  contriv- 
ing, with  deep,  far-reaching  objects  of  my  own,  I  could 
claim  the  right  of  assuming  such  costs  as  might  be  in- 
curred,— for  school  dress,  books,  and  other  equipment.  I 
should  not  have  ventured  to  supply  any  deficiency  caused 
by  Yone's  withdrawal  from  her  domestic  labors,  even  if  I 
had  comprehended  that  part  of  the  difficulty,  which  I  cer- 
tainly did  not.  She,  however,  foresaw  the  impending 
trouble,  and  hastened  (all  unknown  to  me,  be  it  under- 
stood) to  avert  internal  dissension  by  pledging  herself  to 
perform  her  complete  share  of  indoor  service,  in  time  which 
she  would  take  from  her  ordinary  rest  by  day  and  her  sleep 
by  night.  This  meant  that  she  would  make  up  the  five  or 
six  hours  required  for  attendance  at  school  and  for  study 
by  depriving  herself  of  an  equal  period  of  sleep  in  the 
morning  and  relaxation  at  night.  On  these  hard  condi- 
tions, the  aunts  abstained  from  violent  antagonism.  The 
grandmother  was  never  reconciled,  and  from  that  moment 
mercilessly  devoted  herself  to  burdening  the  unhappy 
child's  life  with  weariness,  grief,  and  pain. 

The  homes  of  the  Japanese  are  not  always  the  abodes  of 
bliss  that  genial  foreigners  have  desired  to  paint  them. 
Absolute  despotism  is  the  law  that  rules  in  all  of  them, 
though  the  despotism  may  be  in  many  cases  tempered  by 
natural  amiability  or  a  sense  of  honest  duty.  The  mascu- 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  35 

line  head  of  the  family  is  the  autocrat;  but  a  large  share  of 
his  power  is  delegated  to  any  aged  woman  or  women  that 
may  belong  to  the  household.  A  grandmother,  as  in  the 
present  instance,  may  work  her  own  will,  so  far  as  the  ad- 
justment of  interior  affairs  is  concerned,  without  likelihood 
of  interference  on  any  pretense.  If  Yone,  in  the  years  of 
her  schooling,  had  ever  ventured  to  remonstrate,  or  to 
appeal  to  her  father  against  any  hardship,  she  would  have 
been  looked  upon  as  a  vicious  and  lawless  rebel,  heedless 
of  the  authority  to  which  she  was  subject  by  every  precept 
of  filial  piety;  and  she  would  probably  have  been  recom- 
mended, kindly  but  firmly,  to  remember  that  mute  obedi- 
ence is  the  unvarying  principle  upon  which  a  child's  exist- 
ence should  be  modeled.  But  she  would  never  have 
dreamed  of  taking  such  a  step.  She  was  as  gentle  and 
submissive  as  she  was  eager  in  her  wish  to  gain  knowledge. 
In  her  little  humble  heart,  she  felt  that  more  had  been 
granted  her  than  she  could  ever  repay,  with  all  her  exer- 
tion; and  if  her  soul  was  wounded  by  the  treatment  she 
underwent,  she  did  not  murmur,  but  strove  by  renewed 
effort  to  conciliate  the  inflexible  will  which  controlled  her 
destiny. 

She  did  not  know,  unless  the  knowledge  came  to  her  in 
later  days,  that  she  was  struggling  for  an  impossibility.  It 
was  her  grandmother's  set  purpose  to  interrupt,  by  break- 
ing down  her  strength  and  spirit,  the  course  of  study  to 
which  Yamada,  in  a  moment  of  weakness,  had  given  his 
consent.  To  the  accomplishment  of  this  end,  the  old 
woman  bent  all  her  energy  and  invention.  Hoping  to 
conquer  easily,  she  became  incensed  at  the  child's  power  of 
passive  resistance,  and  gradually  proceeded  from  petty  an- 
noyances to  harsh  oppression,  and  finally  to  bitter  and  in- 
jurious persecution.  It  may  be  said,  to  explain  if  not  to 
palliate  her  cruelty,  that  she  was  one  of  a  generation  reared 
in  hatred  to  the  foreigner;  densely  ignorant,  as  it  was 
formerly  the  habit  of  Japanese  to  keep  their  women;  a 


36  YONE  SANTO: 

fanatic  in  the  faith  of  her  country's  moral  and  intellectual 
supremacy,  as  well  as  in  the  religion  of  her  people;  and 
proud,  withal,  of  the  very  chains  which  bound  her  mind  in 
narrow  imprisonment.  Moreover,  there  was  no  tie  of  true 
affection  between  her  and  the  girl.  Her  son  had  married, 
not  altogether  to  her  fancy,  a  lady  of  social  station  superior 
to  his  own, — although  he  likewise  might  justly  claim  an 
aristocratic  pedigree, — and  the  wife  and  mother-in-law  had 
never  been  in  harmony.  The  consciousness  of  inferiority 
to  a  junior  has  been,  until  recent  times,  the  cause  of  in- 
numerable hatreds  and  contests  among  the  Japanese;  and 
to  the  older  and  less  favored  woman  the  comeliness  and  in- 
telligence of  Yone's  mother  rendered  her  an  object  of 
odium.  She  was  a  fragile  lady,  too  sensitive,  in  her  deli- 
cacy and  refinement,  for  the  surroundings  to  which  she  was 
condemned,  and  after  giving  her  husband  and  master  two 
daughters,  the  younger  of  whom  alone  survived,  she  fell 
into  the  neglect  which  is  the  usual  lot  of  Japanese  wives 
who  supply  no  male  heir  to  the  family  name.  So  she  faded 
out  of  existence,  and  Yone  remained  the  only  inmate  of 
her  father's  home  who  represented  any  but  the  paternal  line. 
He  was  fond  of  her, — more  fond  than  disappointed  Japanese 
fathers  mostly  are;  but  there  was  no  warmth  of  affection 
for  her  among  the  women  who  reared  her.  Perhaps  it  was 
this  lack  of  loving-kindness  that  turned  her  thoughts  else- 
where, and  awakened  the  yearning  for  a  career  to  which 
she  could  attach  herself  with  undivided  devotion. 

I  have  not  set  myself  to  relate  the  sorrows  of  Yone's 
childhood,  and  I  pass  them  over  with  brief  recital.  Her 
tasks  had  been  so  various  and  so  severe  before  entering  the 
school  that,  had  I  known  of  them,  and  of  the  necessity  for 
continuing  them,  I  should  have  hesitated  to  satisfy  her 
wishes.  The  grandmother,  privileged  by  age  and  position, 
was  exempt  from  toil  of  any  kind.  The  two  aunts  occu- 
pied themselves  with  a  reasonable  share  of  the  housework, 
and  the  lowest  offices  were  performed  by  two  menials,  a 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  37 

man  and  a  maid.  In  Nagoya,  their  former  residence,  they 
had  been  better  provided;  but  prices  were  higher  in  Tokio, 
while  the  income  which  sustained  the  house  of  Yamada 
under  the  old  regime  had  totally  disappeared  with  the  dis- 
establishment of  the  feudal  system.  Whilst  searching  for 
a  livelihood,  like  thousands  of  his  fellows,  he  could  not 
maintain  the  luxuries  of  former  times,  and  it  was  considered 
a  proper  concession  to  the  household  needs  when,  not  long 
after  Yone's  admission  to  the  school,  the  last  remaining 
female  servant  was  dismissed.  Perhaps  her  father  thought, 
if  he  thought  at  all  of  the  matter,  that  the  labors  of  the  out- 
going individual  would  be  divided  among  all  who  remained; 
but,  by  the  grandmother's  decree,  everything  was  thrust 
upon  the  child  of  eleven  years,  who  was  already  heavily 
overweighted  with  drudgery. 

At  that  period,  she  rose  long  before  dawn,  set  the  house 
in  order  for  the  day,  cleaned  the  utensils  (studying  when- 
ever her  task  allowed  her  to  keep  a  book  within  view), 
lighted  the  fires,  prepared  the  morning  meal  for  all,  ar- 
ranged her  grandmother's  garments  and  assisted  her  to 
dress,  served  breakfast  to  her  elders  before  taking  her  own, 
washed  and  set  aside  the  dishes  after  the  meal  was  ended, 
made  ready  for  the  dinner  which  was  to  be  eaten  in  her  ab- 
sence, and  then,  donning  the  semi-masculine  attire  which 
girl  students  were  expected  to  wear,  started  upon  a  run  of 
four  miles  to  the  college.  Walk  she  could  not,  with  any 
chance  of  arriving  in  time;  and  as  it  was,  she  was  so  often 
late  as  to  provoke  reproaches,  from  which  she  never  at- 
tempted to  defend  herself,  lest  she  should  seem  to  be,  in 
her  turn,  reproaching  others.  Her  high  standing  in  the 
school,  of  which  she  speedily  became  one  of  the  most 
promising  pupils,  alone  saved  her  from  harsher  rebuke. 
In  the  interval  between  the  morning  and  afternoon  sessions 
she  stole  away  into  seclusion,  unwilling  that  her  com- 
panions should  see  the  insufficient  quantity  and  dubious 
quality  of  the  food  she  was  permitted  to  bring  for  her 


38  YONE  SANTO: 

luncheon,  and  also  anxious  to  gain  a  few  extra  moments 
for  study.  The  day's  attendance  over,  she  darted  home- 
ward again,  there  to  cleanse  the  plates  and  implements 
which  had  intentionally  been  left,  from  the  dinner, 
soiled  and  in  disorder;  to  take  in  hand  the  family  sewing; 
to  make  ready  the  evening  meal;  to  set  the  house  to  rights 
for  the  night;  and,  finally, — not  till  then, — to  give  her 
worn  and  jaded  mind  to  the  lessons  which  she  loved. 
Only  so  long  as  the  family  remained  up  was  she  allowed  a 
light.  For  the  half  of  each  month,  she  afterward  would 
say,  this  was  not  an  irremediable  deprivation;  for  the  skies 
are  clear  in  Japan,  and  the  moon,  less  cold  and  distant  than 
those  whose  name  she  bore,  gave  her  the  light  which  her 
kindred  denied  her. 

While  the  child  was  thus  oppressed  with  cares  and 
travail  beyond  her  strength,  the  grandmother  executed  her 
crowning  stroke  of  policy  by  discharging  the  man-servant, 
imposing  upon  Yone  all  his  work,  and  commanding  her 
daughters  to  abstain  from  even  the  few  tasks  they  had  up  to 
that  time  performed.  This  chanced  to  be  in  midwinter, 
and  to  all  previous  burdens  were  now  superadded  such 
rough  and  arduous  labors  as  wood-splitting,  drawing  water 
from  a  distant  aqueduct, — the  relentless  old  woman  going 
so  far  as  to  pretend  that  the  flavor  of  the  neighboring  well 
was  unpleasant  to  her  taste, — sweeping  the  yard  and  keep- 
ing the  garden  in  order,  with  others  more  degrading  and 
intolerable.  But  no  syllable  of  remonstrance  escaped  the 
victim  of  household  tyranny.  She  clung  to  her  studies, 
and  silently  fought  against  fatigue,  exposure,  cold,  and  im- 
perfect nourishment,  with  a  spirit  as  truly  heroic  as  that 
which  had  won  for  the  founder  of  her  family  his  title  to 
swords  and  crest,  three  hundred  years  before. 

All  this  continued  for  not  less  than  two  years,  at  any 
moment  of  which  a  single  word  to  me  would  have  freed  her 
from  the  worst  of  her  misery;  for  the  child's  sweet  patience 
and  ardent  gratitude  had  endeared  her  to  me,  and,  had  I 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  39 

suspected  the  truth,  I  would  have  spared  no  effort  to 
change  the  current  of  her  afflicted  life.  But  I  never  knew. 
Her  strict  fidelity  to  the  standard  of  duty  by  which  she  had 
been  taught,  and  to  deviate  from  which  she  believed  would 
alienate  her  foreign  friend  and  protector,  as  well  as  her  own 
people, — this  unswerving  constancy  darkened  her  innocent 
life,  and  filled  my  after  years  with  many  a  sorrowful 
memory. 


VI. 

LIGHT    AND    SHADOW. 

ON  one  of  my  semi-official  visits  to  the  school,  during  a 
certain  winter,  I  observed  with  gratification  that  Yone  had 
outstripped  all  her  classmates,  and  stood,  without  a  rival, 
the  leader  of  the  sixty  young  girls  under  instruction.  She 
was  then  close  Upon  fourteen,  while  several  of  her  compan- 
ions were  three  or  four  years  older.  Speaking  of  her  rapid 
advance,  the  teacher — a  foreign  lady,  of  excellent  parts, 
but  as  shallow  as  most  of  her  sex  when  dealing  with  the 
women  of  the  East — remarked  that  the  pleasure  with  which 
she  watched  this  exceptional  progress  was  qualified  by  her 
pupil's  obstinate  indifference  to  personal  neatness,  a  fault 
from  which  the  child  made  no  effort  to  free  herself,  and  for 
which  she  offered  no  excuse  or  explanation. 

"  Look  at  her  hands,"  said  the  teacher, — "  red,  disfigured 
with  grime.  It  is  shocking,  and  I  have  told  her  so,  repeat- 
edly. But  she  has  no  reason  to  give  for  her  carelessness, 
and  merely  says  she  'will  try,'  'will  try,'  which  she  never 
seems  to  do." 

"But  look  at  what  her  face  tells,  Mrs.  Steele,"  I  sug- 
gested, as  the  child  gazed  at  us,  her  intelligent  features 
shadowed  with  an  expression  of  anxiety,  as  if  she  knew  she 
was  undergoing  an  unfavorable  inspection. 

"Oh,  to  be  sure,"  was  the  reply;  "but  we  cannot  make 


40  YONE  SANTO: 

her  face  an  example  for  the  others,  while  her  hands  are  a 
discredit  to  the  school.  I  wish  you  would  speak  to  her, 
Doctor  Charwell;  you  have  great  influence  with  her." 

"  Come  to  me,  Yone,"  I  called. 

She  moved  forward,  her  countenance  betraying  timidity 
and  apprehension. 

"  Now  tell  me  why  it  is  that  your  hands  are  in  this  pitiful 
condition.  Mrs.  Steele  is  seriously  displeased." 

"  I  will  try  to  keep  them  better,"  said  Yone,  in  a  scarcely 
audible  tone. 

"  Try  !  "  repeated  the  teacher.  "  Yes,  you  always  say 
so,  but  they  are  forever  the  same." 

"  Is  anything  the  matter  with  them?"  I  asked.  "Do 
they  pain  you  ? " 

"  A  little,"  she  answered,  still  in  a  whisper. 

"  Come  to  my  house,  on  your  way  home;  I  will  give  you 
some  healing  ointment.  They  certainly  look  very  bad." 

And  so  they  did.  I  need  not  enlighten  the  reader  as  to 
the  cause,  though  I  had  then  no  suspicion  of  it  myself. 
Long  years  ago,  it  was,  and  yet  those  little  hands,  red, 
scarred,  seamed  with  minute  cracks,  and  torn  with  angry 
wounds  in  which  the  dirt  had  gathered, — they  seem  to  rise 
before  me  now,  with  power  to  smite  my  heart. 

"  It  is  water  and  soap  they  most  need,"  said  Mrs.  Steele, 
"  not  ointment." 

Yone  was  dumb. 

"  Can  anything  be  more  provoking  ? "  continued  the 
teacher.  "  She  stands  like  a  statue,  and  never  gives  back  a 
word.  It  is  the  sullen  way  of  the  race,  Doctor." 

I  knew  it  was  not  sullenness  in  Yone's  case,  and  I  had 
long  before  discovered  that  the  tranquil,  unresisting,  and 
silent  submission  which  aliens  ascribed  to  a  morose  obdu- 
racy was  often,  if  not  always,  rightly  attributable  to  a  widely 
different  cause.  To  suffer  uncomplainingly  is  a  lesson 
which  no  Japanese  girl  grows  to  womanhood  without  learn- 
ing, from  sharp  experience. 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  41 

My  protegee's  English  did  not  yet  include  the  word 
"sullen,"  but  she  readily  interpreted  her  teacher's  accent 
and  look. 

"My  clothes  are  clean,"  she  faltered,  with  eyes  cast 
down,  and  with  fainter  articulation  than  before. 

"What  sort  of  a  plea  is  that?  "  said  the  offended  school- 
mistress. "If  you  can  keep  your  dress  tidy,  you  might 
surely  do  the  same  with  your  fingers." 

"  Excuse  me,  Mrs.  Steele,"  I  interposed,  catching  a 
glimpse  of  the  child's  idea,  though  not  altogether  sure  of 
my  ground.  "  Excuse  me;  I  think  she  means  that  the  care 
she  takes  of  her  gown  ought  to  show  us  that  there  is  a  good 
reason,  somewhere,  for  the  bad  condition  of  her  hands." 

A  quick,  responsive  glance  told  me  that  I  had  rightly 
understood  her. 

"I  don't  pretend  to  fathom  her,"  returned  the  teacher, 
coldly,  and  with  a  perceptible  dissatisfaction  that  anybody 
should  assume  to  penetrate  her  pupil's  mind  more  accur- 
ately than  herself.  "  But  her  uncleanliness  stands  seriously 
in  the  way  of  her  promotion.  She  speaks  English  quite 
well  enough  to  be  made  an  assistant  tutor,  but  I  cannot  set 
her  above  the  other  girls  as  a  reward  for  her  persistent  neg- 
ligence." 

"  Listen  to  that,  Yone,"  said  I.  "Will  you  not  try  again, 
and  harder?" 

For  a  moment  she  stood  motionless,  gazing  at  us  with 
grave  inquiry,  and  then,  with  an  effort  that  sent  a  vivid 
flush  over  her  pale  face,  moved  her  lips  as  if  in  speech. 
But  no  sound  came  from  them. 

"  What  is  it,  Yone? "  urged  the  teacher,  briskly. 

Her  mouth  trembled,  and,  this  time,  an  incoherent  mur- 
mur escaped  her. 

"  What  is  it,  Yone  ?  "  I  repeated. 

She  turned  to  me,  with  an  expression  of  pain  which  I 
had  never  before  seen  on  her  countenance,  and,  struggling 
with  each  word,  said: — 

"Are  the  assistants — paid — a  little  ?  " 


42  YONE  SANTO  : 

Sagacious  Mrs.  Steele  looked  down  upon  her  with  min- 
gled pity  and  contempt.  I  waited  for  what  was  to  follow, 
seeing  that  Yone  was  still  battling  with  her  shyness  and 
reserve. 

"  I  think — if  they  are  paid — a  little — just  very  little — I 
think — I  could  then  make  my  hands  better." 

"  Dear  me,  dear  me  !  "  exclaimed  the  teacher.  "At  least, 
I  never  thought  she  was  mercenary.  There,  that  will  do, 
Yone;  you  may  leave  us." 

"  And  don't  forget  to  come  for  the  ointment,"  said  I. 

That  same  afternoon,  Yone  entered  my  office,  breathless, 
excited,  and  in  deep  distress.  She  had  been  running,  and 
at  first  spoke  with  difficulty;  but  she  gradually  grew  calmer, 
and  resumed  her  customary  placid  self-control. 

I  looked  at  her  hands,  and  asked  if  she  really  thought  it 
would  be  too  difficult  for  her  to  satisfy  the  teacher. 

"In  the  summer,  I  could,"  she  answered,  after  a  pause; 
"or  if  I  could  be  assistant  tutor — with — a  little  wages." 

I  knew,  well  enough,  that  there  was  no  unworthy  motive 
behind  these  words;  a  more  unselfish  creature  never 
breathed.  But  in  a  tone  which  I. meant  to  be  bantering, 
and  with  the  hope  of  giving  her  thoughts  a  merrier  turn,  I 
said: — 

"  Why,  Yone,  do  you,  too,  want  to  make  yourself  rich  ?  " 

She  dropped  on  her  knees  as  if  struck  down  by  a  blow, 
and  for  the  second  time  in  our  long  acquaintance  the  mask 
of  composure  and  restraint  fell  from  her. 

"  What  shall  I  do  ?  What  shall  I  say  ? "  she  cried,  throw- 
ing aside  her  imperfect  English,  and  using  her  own  lan- 
guage, with  which,  by  this  time,  I  was  fairly  acquainted. 
"  Oh,  no,  no,  no !  Why  should  I  wish  to  be  rich  ?  But 
think  for  me, — think  what  I  feel,  and  what  I  must  not  say. 
The  school-mistress  despises  me, — I  can  bear  it.  But  if 
you  despise  me,  I  shall  die.  Are  there  not  little  girls  in 
your  country  who  would  be  glad  to  get  some  money,  and 
who  are  good  girls,  and  who  cannot  tell  you  why  they  want 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  43 

it  ?  Do  you  not  understand  ?  You  do  understand.  You 
must  understand.  You  have  always  known  what  Yone 
thinks.  I  should  be  a  wicked  child  if  I  said  one  word 
to  explain  it.  I  do  not  mean  to  be  wicked;  but  if  you 
would  only  understand.  Oh,  how  unhappy,  how  un- 
happy "— 

Her  voice  died  away,  and  once  more  her  slight  frame 
shook,  as  at  her  father's  house,  when  she  first  knew  of  her 
admission  to  the  school.  But  she  shed  no  tears.  I  would 
have  given  much  if  she  had,  but  such  natural  relief  seldom 
came  to  this  overburdened  little  soul.  Knowing  that  my 
eyes  were  dimmer  than  her  own,  I  lifted  her  in  my  arms, 
and  said,  with  such  steadiness  as  I  could  command: — 

"  I  do  understand,  my  child.  I  understand  enough.  Do 
not  fear,  Yone;  I  have  perfect  confidence  in  your  good- 
ness, and  you  need  never  say  a  word  to  me  that  you  do  not 
wish  to.  You  have  every  right  to  want  the  money;  and  if 
you  fail  to  get  the  position  in  the  college,  you  shall  let  me 
give  you  all  you  need.  That,  indeed,  will  please  me  best." 

She  was  already  soothed  and  mistress  of  herself. 

"  You  are  always  my  kind  friend,"  she  said;  "  nobody 
has  ever  been  so  kind  as  you.  But  because  you  have 
helped  me  to  what  I  most  wanted  in  the  world,  am  I  to  go 
on  and  get  more  from  you  ?  No,  that  would  hurt  me.  If 
you  can  understand  me,  and  not  despise  me,  that  is  all  I 
will  ask." 

"  Be  calm,  my  little  Yone.  I  have  a  great  affection  for 
you,  and  I  shall  never  despise  you.  And  now,  let  me  look 
at  the  hands.  They  are  very  painful,  I  dare  say." 

"Oh,  I  do  not  care  for  the  pain,"  she  replied;  "  it  is  the 
ugly  look,  and  now  I  think  I  can  change  that.  And  I 
must  not  wait.  I  have  been  so  long.  I  shall  be  so  late." 

She  looked  anxiously  at  the  clock. 

"  I  must  get  home  before  five,"  she  added. 

"  That  is  impossible,"  I  answered;  *"  it  is  past  four,  and 
you  have  nearly  four  miles  to  go." 


44  YONE  SANTO: 

"I  can  do  it,"  she  insisted;  "  I  often  do.  I  must  do  it. 
Excuse  me  for  hurrying.  I  must!  " 

"Then,"  said  I,  "  I  will  drive  you  there.  Be  still;  don't 
say  no.  I  am  going  near  your  house,  and  you  can  wait  and 
have  the  hands  dressed." 

She  yielded  reluctantly,  and  I  took  her  home;  going  in 
with  her  to  explain  that  I  was  to  blame  for  the  delay,  and, 
in  a  few  words,  endeavoring  to  impart  to  the  family  a  share 
of  the  pride  I  felt  in  her  progress  and  in  the  distinction 
that  awaited  her. 

"  Strange  people,"  I  thought,  as  I  drove  away.  "  One 
would  imagine,  if  it  were  possible,  that  those  estimable 
ladies,  instead  of  being  elated  at  the  child's  success,  were 
as  indifferent  as  if  it  concerned  a  stranger.  The  stoicism 
of  the  old  school,  no  doubt.  I  must  talk  to  her  father." 

In  assuring  Yone  that  I  understood  her,  I  had  spoken  in 
good  faith,  and  in  the  conviction  that  I  had  really  caught 
the  clue  to  her  feelings.  But  I  was  wrong.  I  thought  her 
sole  desire  with  respect  to  the  money  was  to  be  able  to  con- 
tribute, as  a  child,  to  the  scanty  domestic  revenues;  and 
that  she  was  stung  by  the  teacher's  imputation,  which,  how- 
ever, she  could  not  refute  except  at  the  risk  of  exposing 
the  circumstances  of  her  family  with  a  freedom  unbecom- 
ing to  its  youngest  member.  I  was  correct  in  so  far  as  I 
judged  her  to  be  innocent  of  any  venal  thought,  but  all 
astray  as  to  the  use  to  which  she  contemplated  devoting 
her  possible  income.  Years  of  unkind  treatment  had  at 
last  forced  upon  her  the  painful  certainty  that  no  effort  of 
hers  could  win  the  affection  of  her  feminine  relatives,  and 
that  she  had  only  her  father's  careless  attachment  to  rely 
upon.  She  felt  she  was  tolerated,  not  loved,  by  her  grand- 
mother and  aunts,  and  lived  in  constant  fear  lest  her  sole 
consolation — the  privilege  of  school  attendance — should  be 
withdrawn.  The  only  happiness  she  knew  was  in  her  studies, 
and  she  had  long  been  aware  of  the  determination  to  com- 
pel her,  if  possible,  to  renounce  this  solace.  At  times, 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  45 

the  pressure  had  been  almost  insupportable,  and  she  saw 
approaching  the  period  when  she  must  of  necessity  yield; 
for  she  could  not  lay  before  her  father  a  complaint  against 
his  mother,  and  to  seek  relief  from  her  burdens  in  any 
other  direction  would  have  been  to  depart  from  all  the  tra- 
ditions of  her  people. 

Suddenly  her  hopes  were  revived  by  the  possibility  of 
earning  money  on  her  own  account.  It  could  be  but  a 
small  sum, — five  or  six  dollars  a  month,  at  the  most;  but 
with  this  she  might  pay  the  pittance  of  a  man-servant,  and 
thus  relieve  herself  from  the  crushing  and  exhausting 
drudgeries  which  now  threatened  to  undermine  her 
strength,  and  leave  her  powerless  to  pursue  the  only  cheer- 
ing prospect  of  her  life.  There  would  be  more  than 
enough  for  this,  and  consequently,  if  her  father  would  per- 
mit her,  she  might  purchase  a  pair  of  mittens,  and  thus 
take  a  practical  step  toward  restoring  her  offending  mem- 
bers to  their  normal  condition  of  neatness.  Rough  labor, 
not  neglect,  was  the  cause  of  their  unwonted  appearance. 
The  performance  of  cruel  tasks  had  bruised  and  lacerated 
her  delicate  skin;  and  the  winter's  cold  had  so  discolored 
and  swollen  the  wounded  hands  that  no  one  would  have 
known  them  for  Yone  Yamada's. 

On  reaching  home,  I  made  it  my  first  business  to  write 
to  Mrs.  Steele  that  I  had  satisfied  myself  concerning  her 
pupil's  desire  to  earn  money,  and  that,  though  I  was  not 
free  to  repeat  the  explanation,  I  could  guarantee  that  her 
motive  was  irreproachable;  furthermore,  that  it  would  be 
necessary  to  give  her  hands  careful  treatment  for  perhaps 
several  weeks,  at  the  end  of  which  I  hoped  for  a  complete 
cure.  All  this,  undoubtedly,  was  highly  disingenuous.  In 
strict  truth,  I  had  not  a  fact  to  stand  upon;  but  I  had 
abundant  faith,  and  not  a  particle  of  fear  that  my  faith 
would  lead  me  into  difficulty,  in  this  case.  Not  to  disguise 
the  matter,  I  bore  false  witness  in  favor  of  my  little  friend 
without  a  blush  or  a  twinge  of  conscience. 


46  YONE  SANTO: 

But  the  harsh  destiny  which  has  thus  far  decreed  that 
the  women  of  Japan  shall  not  escape  from  the  narrow 
grooves  laid  down  for  them  was  riot  to  be  so  easily  baffled. 
A  double  calamity  fell  upon  the  child.  A  formidable  re- 
bellion in  the  western  provinces  imposed  upon  the  govern- 
ment the  need  of  sudden  retrenchment,  and,  by  imperial 
edict,  the  foreign  schools  for  girls  were  indefinitely  sus- 
pended. Yone's  studies  were  brought  to  an  abrupt  end, 
for  she  had  passed  beyond  the  stage  where  the  native  or 
missionary  teachers  could  benefit  her.  The  civil  conflict 
proved  so  severe  that,  in  addition  to  the  standing  army 
and  the  drilled  police  of  the  large  cities,  the  old  feudal 
retainers  were  called  upon  to  reassemble  in  defense  of  the 
state.  Among  the  vassals  from  Owari  who  responded  to 
the  call  was  Yamada,  now  so  reduced  that  he  gladly  wel- 
comed even  this  precarious  resource.  But  the  black  cloud 
hung  over  the  unfortunate  gentleman,  wherever  he  turned. 
He  fell  in  some  ignoble  skirmish,  denied  the  soldierly  fame 
for  which  many,  not  more  truly  valorous  than  he,  willingly 
exchanged  their  lives. 

Just  before  this  last  blow  came,  a  happier  outlook  seemed 
about  to  open  before  his  daughter.  In  his  absence,  an 
arrangement  had  been  made  for  Yone's  entrance  into  Miss 
Philipson's  establishment,  as  teacher  and  interpreter.  In 
many  respects,  the  engagement  harmonized  with  the  young 
girl's  best  feelings  and  sympathies.  She  found  herself  in 
a  position  where  she  could  do  good, — obvious,  palpable, 
unmistakable  good.  The  longing  to  help,  to  raise  the  less 
gifted  or  less  fortunate  to  a  higher  level,  which  is  a  fine 
characteristic  of  the  Japanese  (though,  I  am  sorry  to  say, 
commonly  confined  among  the  men  to  the  uplifting  of  their 
own  sex),  was  anxiously,  almost  yearningly,  developed  in 
Yone's  nature.  Her  simplicity  and  inexperience  were  but 
slight  hindrances  to  her  determination  to  work,  with  or 
without  good  opportunity,  for  the  intellectual  advance- 
ment of  the  little  charges  entrusted  to  her.  They  were 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  47 

there  to  learn,  she  believed,  and  there  were  many  things 
she  could  teach  them.  Best  of  all,  for  her,  she  could  love 
them.  Not  only  them,  but  also  those  staid,  prim,  unsmiling 
ladies  whom  she  was  bound  to  respect  as  her  employers, 
and  who  claimed  her  reverence  as  representatives  of  that 
wonderful  Western  world,  where — according  to  the  flatter- 
ing conviction  of  her  soul — learning  and  wisdom  prevailed, 
where  the  light  of  civilization  beamed  upon  all,  and  the 
birthright  of  whose  people  was  justice  and  goodness.  Stiff 
and  austere  as  these  forbidding  sisters  might  appear,  they 
could  not  be  so  cold  and  pitiless  as  the  only  kindred  she 
now  had  left  to  her.  She  turned  to  them  as  a  flower 
blighted  by  darkness  turns  to  the  faintest  ray  of  sunshine. 
Nor  were  they  in  the  beginning  wholly  unresponsive. 
Few  American  women  could  be  utterly  insensible  to  such 
tender  and  beseeching,  though  timid  and  unconscious, 
appeals  as  those  which  this  lonely  and  neglected  child  con- 
stantly put  forth.  They  could  not  quite  understand  her, 
but  in  their  ungenial  fashion  they  approved  and,  as  it  were, 
sanctioned  her.  Necessarily,  they  looked  down  upon  her. 
To  look  down  upon  the  heathen  was,  in  a  great  measure, 
what  they  had  come  to  the  East  for.  Equally  as  a  matter 
of  course,  they  persecuted  her;  assailing  her  with  uncouth 
religious  battering-rams  of  their  own  clumsy  contriving; 
cramming  her  with  indigestible  creeds;  striving  to  force 
upon  her  a  faith  which  they  were  incompetent  to  inculcate, 
or  even  to  explain,  and  which,  though  she  might  willingly 
have  accepted  the  essential  substance  of  it  under  wise  and 
gentle  guidance,  she  was  too  intelligent  to  subscribe  to, 
without  some  rational  comprehension  of  what  she  was  do- 
ing. But  they  did  not  frown  upon  her.  In  some  respects 
they  were  rather  proud  of  her,  with  a  queer,  complacent 
notion  that  she  was  something  of  their  own  design  and 
making-up,  like  a  piece  of  human  patchwork,  destined  to 
still  further  improvement  under  their  dexterous  manipu- 
lation. Poor  Yone  !  No  conception  could  have  entered 


48  YONE  SANTO: 

the  minds  of  those  admirable  ladies  that  the  spirit  of  Chris- 
tianity never  shone  so  brightly  in  their  household  as  when 
she  dwelt  therein,  little  pagan  that  she  was.  Their  properly 
constituted  souls  were  in  no  danger  of  contamination  from 
such  rank  impiety  as  that  would  imply. 

But,  from  the  outset,  their  method  of  dealing  with  her 
was  harmful.  Probably  unaware  of  the  injury  they  were 
inflicting,  and  doubtless  encouraged  by  her  own  ardent 
desire  to  meet  every  expectation,  they  pressed  too  many 
duties  upon  her;  and  she,  rejoicing  in  nothing  so  much  as 
in  the  fulfillment  of  her  daily  tasks,  allowed  herself  no 
respite,  until  overstrained  nature  revolted,  and  her  slender 
stock  of  strength  forsook  her.  The  fatigues  of  previous 
years  were  yet  to  be  atoned  for,  and  it  became  evident 
that  in  a  long  cessation  of  active  labor  and  study  lay  her 
sole  hope  of  recovery.  It  almost  broke  her  heart  to  leave 
the  place  where  she  had  found  her  nearest  approach  to 
happiness,  and  which  had  more  closely  resembled  a  home 
than  any  shelter  she  had  known.  In  sadness  and  dejection 
she  returned  to  her  grandmother's  dwelling.  Her  earnings 
in  the  mission  school  had  reconciled  her  relatives  to  the 
association  with  foreigners,  these  being,  since  the  father's 
death,  their  sole  reliance  for  support.  But  now,  having 
nothing  to  bestow,  she  fell  again  into  contempt  and  neglect. 

An  opportunity  of  partial  relief  was  opened  to  the  grand- 
mother. Her  own  family,  in  Nagoya,  offered  a  refuge  for 
her  declining  years,  and  expressed  also  a  willingness  to 
receive,  if  necessary,  her  two  daughters.  Believing  that 
Yone  was  in  the  way  of  gaining  her  own  livelihood,  they 
did  not  extend  the  invitation  to  her,  but  rather  intimated 
that  she  would  be  expected  to  remain  in  Tokio,  and  to  con- 
tribute thence  to  the  family  resources.  That  this  had  be- 
come impossible  the  grandmother  was  well  aware;  but  no 
idea  of  taking  the  helpless  child  with  her  crossed  her  mind. 
The  sole  aim  now  was  to  get  rid  of  her  as  speedily  and  with 
as  little  discredit  as  possible. 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  49 


VII. 

AN    UNEXPECTED    ANNOUNCEMENT. 

ON  one  of  the  lovely  mornings  which  make  the  Japanese 
spring  a  season  of  unrivaled  brightness  and  beauty,  Yone 
came  to  my  office,  with  an  aspect  as  dainty  and  charming, 
in  her  youthful  womanhood,  as  the  fairness  of  the  growing 
year,  but  with  too  little  of  the  elastic  vigor  which  I  would 
gladly  have  seen.  She  had  news  to  communicate,  of  no 
trivial  character. 

"  My  grandmother  wishes  me  to  be  secret,"  she  began, 
"  and  I  am  willing,  except  for  you.  I  could  not  promise  to 
hide  anything  from  my  best  friend.  I  shall  very  soon  be 
married." 

"  Married  ! — you,  Yone  ?  Bless  me,  child,  how  old  are 
you  ? " 

She  smiled,  as  Japanese  girls  always  smile  when  doubts 
of  their  maturity  are  suggested. 

"  I  am  sixteen  by  our  reckoning,  nearly  fifteen  by  yours. 
A  grown-up  woman,  Doctor." 

"A  grown-up  doll,  you  little  witch  !  How  dare  you  talk 
to  me  of  marriage  ?  " 

"  It  is  all  true;  my  grandmother  has  consented." 

"Oh,  your  grandmother,  yes;  but  what  have  you  to  say, 
my  child  ? " 

"Why,  nothing,  Doctor;  what  should  I  say?  All  is 
arranged.  They  are  going  to  Nagoya  soon,  and  I  shall  be 
married  before  they  start." 

It  was  a  scheme,  then,  to  free  themselves  of  an  incum- 
brance.  Well,  perhaps  it  was  better  so.  I  had  begun  to 
take  a  clearer  view  than  before  of  Yone's  home  surround- 
ings, and  saw  a  possible  emancipation  awaiting  her. 


50  YONE  SANTO: 

"  This  is  indeed  news,"  I  said,  with  an  assumption  of  the 
gayety  which  the  subject  appeared  to  demand.  "And  who 
is  the  young  gentleman  ?  Have  I  met  him  ?  Come,  I  hope 
you  can  tell  me  a  thousand  good  things  about  him." 

"  I  do  not  know,"  she  answered;  "  that  is,  I  do  not  know 
much.  But  he  is  not  young." 

"  Not  young  ?  Ah,  well,  we  do  not  care  so  much  for 
that,  do  we  ?  So  the  gentleman  is  not  young  ?" 

"  He  is  not  " — she  continued,  with  rising  reluctance  and 
embarrassment — "  he  is  not  a  gentleman." 

"Not  a  gentleman?  I  do  not  understand  you,  my 
dear." 

She  reflected  a  while,  and  then,  with  much  hesitation, 
said, — 

"  My  father  is  dead,  and  now  my  grandmother  decides. 
I  did  think — I  hoped — my  mother  had  such  good  rank — 
Doctor,  I  cannot  tell  you.  I  have  no  right  to  feel  as  I  do. 
My  grandmother  knows  best.  There  is  no  time  to  lose,  she 
says,  and  a  husband  has  been  chosen  for  me.  He  is  not  a 
samurai.  He  is  a  merchant, — a  boat-builder.  Santo  is  his 
name." 

A  merchant,  and  a  mechanic  !  I  knew  how  hard  a  shock 
it  must  be  to  her  fine  and,  no  doubt,  exaggerated  sense  of 
what  was  due  to  her  lineage,  but  at  the  moment  I  saw  no 
course  before  me  but  to  soothe  her  prejudices,  if  possible, 
and  help  her  to  look  cheerfully  at  the  future. 

"  You  say  it  is  decided,  Yone;  is  it  really  so  ?" 

"It  is  decided." 

"  And  Santo, — he  is  a  good  man,  I  do  not  doubt.  I  will 
make  his  acquaintance.  I  will  go  to-morrow.  What  is  he 
like,  Yone?" 

"  I  have  not  seen  him." 

"  Well,  I  shall  see  him,  and — you  are  sure,  my  child,  sure 
that  it  is  decided  ?  " 

I  was  impelled  to  this  last  question  by  the  increasing 
sorrowfulness  of  her  countenance,  hoping  there  might  be  a 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  51 

means  of  escape  from  a  dispensation  which  I  now  saw  was 
repugnant  to  her. 

"My  grandmother  has  decided,  and  I  obey  her  com- 
mands." 

"  Listen,  Yone:  you  told  me  once  about  a  school-fellow,  a 
young  girl  who  was  to  be  married,  and  who  was  disinclined 
—who  preferred  "- 

"  Yes,  that  was  Shizu  Miura.  She  came  from  our 
province,  soon  after  us.  Her  parents  were  very  poor,  and 
they  meant  her  to  be  married;  but  her  uncle  adopted  her, 
and  then  it  was  not  necessary." 

"  So  then,  the  adoption  saved  her  ?  " 

"Yes,  Doctor;  but  do  not  think  of  such  things.  I  see 
what  is  in  your  kind  heart,  but  I  have  no  uncles,  rich  or 
poor.  I  have  nobody.  I  am  alone, — all  alone." 

"Wait,  wait;  let  me  consider.  Yone,  tell  me  something. 
In  jest,  you  understand, — only  in  jest;  a  mere  freak  of  my 
imagination.  Do  you  suppose — does  it  strike  you  " — 

"What  is  the  matter,  Doctor?  Are  you  in  trouble, 
too?" 

Undoubtedly  I  displayed  some  agitation,  for  a  rather 
startling  idea  had  occurred  to  me,  of  the  value  or  the  worth- 
lessness  of  which  I  could  form  no  estimate.  Yone  alone 
could  enlighten  me. 

"  No,  no;  I  am  only  laughing.  It  is  such  a  droll  fancy. 
Do  you  imagine  that  any  Japanese  girl  could  take  kindly 
to  the  notion  of  being  adopted  by  a  foreigner  ? " 

"By  a  foreigner  ?" 

"Yes;  absurd,  is  it  not?  I  know  what  you  will  say, — 
quite  impossible." 

"  Doctor,  forgive  me;  I  cannot  jest, — not  to-day.  I  am 
not  entirely  happy." 

"I  see;  but  without  a  jest,  then,  I  should  be  glad  to 
know  if  such  an  adoption  would  be  satisfactory  to  a  Jap- 
anese girl — or  boy.  Yes,  an  adoption  by  a  foreigner;  by  an 
American,  for  example, — an  old  American.  Suppose  we 


52  YONE  SANTO: 

say  an  old  doctor.     Come,  now,  what  would  you  think?" 

"  Doctor,  dear  Doctor,  do  not  laugh  at  me.  I  am  a  fool- 
ish child.  I  am  not  very  well.  It  is  so  easy  to  make  mistakes. 
I  am  ashamed  to  be  so  weak,  but  I  cannot  help  it.  Tell  me 
truly  what  is  in  your  mind." 

She  came  and  laid  her  hand  upon  my  arm,  and  her  soft, 
pleading  eyes  looked  piteously  into  mine. 

"  Tell  me  first,  Yone.  Answer  my  question.  Don't  you 
see,  my  little  girl,  that  it  is  all  earnest,  very  earnest,  unless 
you  wish  it  otherwise  ?  " 

But  I  needed  no  answer  in  speech.  The  expression  of 
her  face,  which  for  a  moment  might  have  imparted  beauty 
to  even  a  plain  countenance,  was  more  eloquent  than  any 
words  she  could  have  uttered.  All  pain  and  anxiety  had 
vanished,  and  a  look  of  serene  content  had  taken  their 
place.  I  sprang  to  my  feet,  exclaiming, — 

"  All  sunshine  now,  Yone;  no  more  clouds  and  storms. 
How  simple  it  is,  when  we  both  understand.  I  see  it  all; 
and  you  " — 

She,  poor  girl,  saw  nothing.  A  sudden  change  over- 
came her,  and  blinding  tears  streamed  from  her  eyes.  It 
was  the  strangest  of  coincidences,  that  this  child,  a  type  of 
Oriental  self-restraint,  and  I,  by  profession  and  long  habit 
the  embodiment  of  rugged  insensibility,  should  thus  re- 
peatedly belie  our  principles  and  training.  This  was  the 
third  time  that  the  clash  of  unexpected  circumstances  had 
deprived  her  of  the  composure  it  was  her  duty  to  preserve, 
and  rendered  useless  my  armor  of  hardened  worldly  proof; 
leaving  us  both  exposed  to  highly  unbecoming  human  in- 
fluences, when  it  was  our  plain  business  to  expel  nature, 
sympathy,  sentiment,  all  but  common  sense,  from  our 
thoughts. 

I  sent  her  home,  as  soon  as  she  was  fit  to  go,  to  lay  be- 
fore her  people  the  contemplated  arrangement.  Then,  as 
the  hours  went  by,  feeling  that  the  duty  rested  upon  me  of 
announcing  the  impending  event  to  the  circle  of  which  I 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  53 

was  at  least  nominally  a  member,  I  sauntered  forth  to  our 
informal  agency  for  the  diffusion  of  social  intelligence.  It 
was  not  a  "  Thursday,"  but  I  was  reasonably  sure  of  an  au- 
dience any  day  in  the  week;  and  even  if  the  esteemed 
sisters  Philipson  had  chanced  to  be  alone,  I  knew  well  that 
my  trifle  of  news  was  safe  to  be  spread  over  the  foreign  fra- 
ternity of  Tokio  before  night,  and  well  on  its  way  to  the 
contiguous  colony  at  Yokohama. 


VIII. 

THE    GOSPEL    OF    CHARITY. 

ON  entering  the  Philipson  drawing-room,  I  found  it 
fairly  filled,  and  would  at  once  have  proceeded  to  make 
known  my  purpose,  had  not  the  attention  of  the  company 
been  concentrated  upon  the  head  of  the  establishment,  who 
appeared  to  be  in  the  midst  of  a  recital  of  more  than  com- 
mon interest.  She  greeted  me  with  an  austere  wave  of  the 
hand,  and  continued  her  remarks  with  scarcely  a  pause. 

"  We  had  already  had  a  foreboding  of  evil,  friends,  and 
our  minds  were  ill  at  ease.  Only  a  few  minutes  before, 
just  as  sister  Kezia  began  to  conduct  the  interrogation  in 
Genesis,  I  observed  signs  of  inattention  on  the  part  of  one 
of  our  smaller  children,  and,  desiring  to  awaken  her  to  the 
seriousness  of  her  duties,  I  suddenly  asked  her  who  created 
the  world.  She  answered — friends,  it  grieves  me  to  declare 
it — she  answered — Tell  us,  Kezia,  what  that  child  said 
when  I  inquired  who  created  the  world." 

"  Adam  and  Eve  !  "  replied  the  younger  Miss  Philipson, 
in  a  sepulchral  tone. 

"Adam  and  Eve,"  repeated  the  elder,  with  stern  em- 
phasis; "  A-dam  and  Eve!  And  no  sooner  had  those 
words  fallen  from  her  sinful  lips  than  four  other,  and  I  regret 
to  say  more  advanced,  girls  broke  into  unseemly  laughter." 

"Only  three,  I  think,  Sophia,"  interposed  the  junior. 


54  YONE  SANTO: 

"Five  girls  broke  into  laughter,"  pursued  the  narrator, 
betraying  no  consciousness  of  the  correction,  except  that 
conveyed  by  her  augmentation  of  the  number  of  delinquents. 
"  Five  sacrilegious  giggles  resounded  through  the  school- 
room. But  order  was  soon  restored,  and  silence  reigned. 
The  lesson  of  the  day  was  an  exposition  of  the  sin  of  dis- 
obedience, with  a  salutary  review  of  the  punishment  in- 
flicted by  Omniscience  upon  our  first  parents.  In  the 
midst  of  the  exercises  we  were  thrown  into  confusion  by 
the  behavior  of  a  scholar  of  whom  we  had  thought  well;  in 
whom  we  had  never  before  detected  a  stubborn  and  rebel- 
lious heart.  When  called  upon  to  bear  testimony  to  the 
all-wisdom  of  the  chastisement,  she  hesitated,  hid  her  face, 
and  presently  sobbed  aloud;  and  when  commanded  to  explain 
her  extraordinary  misconduct,  she  said  she  could  not  bear  it, 
that  it  reminded  her  of  the  story  of  a  cruel  daimio  who  ruled 
in  her  province  centuries  ago,  and  who,  on  learning  that  a 
poor  woman  had  stolen  some  fruit  from  his  garden,  not 
only  condemned  her  and  her  husband  and  parents  to  a 
horrible  death,  but  decreed  that  all  their  descendants 
should  toil  in  bondage  to  the  last  generation.  Judge, 
friends,  what  my  feelings  were  as  I  listened  to  that  mis- 
guided girl.  I  cannot  hope  to  make  you  understand  the 
shock  that  overcame  me  at  that  moment." 

"  For  my  part,  my  heart  was  in  my  mouth,"  said  Mi?s 
Kezia. 

"  I  will  not,"  resumed  Miss  Sophia,  "  make  use  of  expres- 
sions which  might  savor  of  extravagance,  and  which  are  re- 
pugnant to  physiological  probability,  but  I  do  not  hesi- 
tate to  affirm  that  the  feeblest  infant  could  have  quelled  me 
with  a  feather,  and  that  my  hair  literally  stood  on  end. 
The  more  so,  as  the  girl  asserted  that  she  supposed  the  object 
of  the  Scriptural  chronicle  was  the  same  as  that  with  which 
the  Japanese  tradition  is  kept  in  memory, — or,  as  she  inti- 
mated, to  teach  us  the  wickedness  of  tyranny,  and  to  en- 
able us  to  sympathize  with  unmerited  suffering.  And  such 


A  CtffLD  OS  JAPAN,  55 

was  the  force  of  her  vicious  example  that  before  she  had 
concluded  all  the  pupils  in  that  class  were  weeping  and 
wailing  together.  I  think  sister  Kezia  will  bear  me  out  in 
the  statement  that  the  whole  class  participated." 

"  Nearly  all,  I  should  perhaps  say,"  was  the  guarded  re- 
sponse of  Kezia. 

"  The  entire  class  burst  into  floods  of  tears  and  hysteri- 
cal outcries,"  persisted  the  senior,  with  a  glance  which  im- 
plied that  she  was  prepared  to  multiply  indefinitely  the 
aggregate  of  evil  doers,  in  case  any  further  modification  of 
her  report  were  attempted.  Indeed,  as  if  not  fully  satisfied 
with  the  gleam  of  her  sister's  eye,  in  which  she  perhaps 
descried  a  latent  tendency  to  insubordination,  she  added, 
apparently  to  indicate  the  inexhaustible  extent  of  her  re- 
sources, "  I  believe,  moreover,  that  some  of  the  others 
within  hearing  caught  the  demoralizing  infection,  and  were 
likewise  carried  away.  Finding  it  impossible  to  control 
them,  we  suspended  the  interrogations,  and  dismissed  the 
pupils.  We  are  now  considering  what  course  we  shall  pur- 
sue with  the  greater  and  lesser  offenders.  It  is  not  a 
matter  to  be  lightly  dealt  with.  But  we  hope  to  be  guided. 
My  sister  and  I  propose  to  wrestle  strenuously,  throughout 
this  night." 

As  the  company  proffered  sympathy  and  condolement, 
in  terms  which  showed  that  the  tale  they  had  listened  to 
had  deeply  stirred  their  sensibilities,  I  began  to  doubt 
whether  the  occasion  was  altogether  propitious  for  my  er- 
rand, and  to  wish  it  were  possible  to  defer  the  disclosure  to 
a  more  fitting  opportunity;  but  on  weighing  the  circum- 
stances, I  judged  it  expedient  to  declare  myself  without  de- 
delay.  I  watched  the  countenance  of  the  hostess  from  a 
distance,  and  took  advantage  of  the  first  perceptible  ex- 
pression of  complacency. 

"  I  have  something  to  tell  you,  Miss  Philipson,  about 
Yone  Yamada,"  I  said.  "  I  hope  it  will  please  you." 

"Dear  child, "she  answered;  "  anything  that  is  for  her 
good  will  please  us." 


$6  YONE  SAtfTG: 

"  For  her  real  good,  Sophia,"  added  the  younger  sister. 

It  was  contrary  to  the  habit  of  this  amiable  couple  to  ac- 
cept any  statement,  even  from  one  another,  without  some 
species  of  qualification  or  protest,  but  the  elder  was  accus- 
tomed to  regard  the  right  of  emendation  as  belonging  ex- 
clusively to  herself,  and  was  not  slow,  as  has  been  seen,  to 
resent  invasions  of  her  assumed  prerogative.  Upon  the 
introduction  of  a  new  topic,  however,  the  younger  lady 
was  tempted  to  indulge  herself  once  again. 

"  Surely,  for  her  real  good,"  conceded  the  senior. 

Harmless  as  this  remark  would  have  sounded  to  the  un- 
initiated, it  threw  a  chill  over  me,  from  the  unusual  and 
ominous  coincidence  of  opinion  which  it  conveyed.  But  it 
was  useless  to  pause. 

"  You  have  heard  of  her  father's  death,"  I  resumed,  "but 
you  do  not  know  that  her  family — that  is,  her  grandmother 
and  aunts — propose  returning  at  once  to  their  own  prov- 
ince, and  withdrawing  their  protection  from  her." 

"  How  dreadful !  "  said  Miss  Philipson  the  elder. 

"Dreadful  indeed,"  I  responded;  "and  there  seems  to 
be  no  resource  for  her, — certainly  no  fitting  resource, — un- 
less she  can  be  adopted  by  some  suitable  person.  Now, 
unfortunately,  she  has  not  a  relative  in  the  world  that  we 
know  of,  except  those  who  are  resolved  to  disencumber 
themselves  of  her." 

Various  murmurs  of  commiseration  ran  around  the 
room. 

"  Poor  thing  !  " 

"  How  hard  !  " 

"How  cruel  !" 

"Therefore" — said  I,  and  then  abruptly  checked  myself. 
The  singular  readiness  of  the  elder  lady,  a  moment  before, 
to  acquiesce  in  one  of  her  sister's  suggestions  suddenly  ex- 
panded, before  my  mind's  eye,  to  portentous  proportions; 
and  although  I  had  previously  been  utterly  unconscious  of  a 
possible  objection  to  my  scheme,  I  was  now  seized  with  a 


A  CHILD  OP  JAPAN.  57 

Vague  apprehension  that  it  might  not  be  cordially  received. 

"Yes?"  prompted  the  younger  Miss  Philipson,  in- 
quiringly. 

"  Therefore  I  have  concluded  to  adopt  her  myself." 

"  Oh  !  " 

The  capabilities  of  an  interjection  have  never,  I  am  per- 
suaded, been  accurately  estimated.  Those  of  an  "oh,"  I 
can  confidently  aver,  are  boundless.  To  compare  its  sig- 
nificance to  that  of  volumes  is  to  confess  a  total  ignorance 
of  its  force  and  scope.  This  particular  "oh,"  breathed 
forth  simultaneously  by  a  chorus  of  half  a  dozen  feminine 
voices,  was  equivalent  to  whole  libraries. 

"That  is  my  intention,"  I  declared. 

"But,  excuse  me,  Doctor  Charwell,"  said  Miss  Philipson, 
No.  i,  with  great  precision  of  utterance;  "I  think — you 
will  correct  me  if  I  am  wrong — I  think  you  spoke  of  her 
adoption  by  some  suitable  person." 

"So  I  did,  madam,"  I  replied.  "Can  you  suggest  any 
person  more  suitable  than  her  oldest  foreign  friend, — 
the  only  one,  so  far  as  I  know,  who  is  prepared  to  take 
upon  him  such  a  responsibility  ?  " 

"  Responsibility  indeed,"  sighed  Miss  P.  No.  2. 

"  Oh,  I  know  well  enough  it  is  no  trivial  undertaking,"  I 
said.  "I  am  far  from  coveting  it.  Domestic  invasions  are  not 
agreeable  prospects  to  men  of  my  age  and  confirmed  habits, 
even  when  the  invader  is  so  little  likely  to  be  troublesome 
as  in  this  case.  If  anybody  more  accustomed  to  the  bring- 
ing up  of  children  will  assume  the  charge,  I  am  ready  to 
resign  it  on  the  instant." 

No  one  spoke. 

"  You  see  how  it  is,  Miss  Philipson.  The  child  must  be 
provided  for.  Come,  I  thought  you  would  be  pleased  to 
hear  of  anything  for  her  good." 

"  For  her  real  good,"  softly  purred  the  second  Miss  P. 

"  Precisely,  madam,"  I  rejoined.  "  I  presume  it  will  be 
for  her  real  good  to  be  fed  when  she  is  hungry,  and  to  have 


38  YOM5  SAATTO 

a  house  to  live  in,  and  clothes  to  wear  And  it  appears  to 
me  that  I  am  a  very  suitable  person  to  supply  her  with  these 
necessities.  I  can  afford  it,  and,  though  I  foresee  incon- 
veniences, I  am  willing  to  make  the  trial,  at  any  rate." 

"  Oh,  Doctor,  can  you  look  atme  with  your  inward  eye, 
and  say  it  is  truly  suitable  ? "  asked  the  junior  sister. 

"I  am  a  physician,  madam,"  said  I,  somewhat  testily, 
"  and  thus  far  my  researches  have  not  made  me  acquainted 
with  anything  in  the  nature  of  an  inward  eye.  Nor  do  I 
know  of  the  existence  of  such  organs,  except,  possibly, 
in  the  fishes  of  the  Mammoth  Cave.  But,  looking  at  you 
with  the  only  eyes  1  am  conscious  of  possessing,  I  say  it  is 
eminently  and  superlatively  suitable." 

"Dear  Doctor,  such  extravagance  of  language  " — 

"Permit  me,  Kezia,"  interrupted  the  elder;  "let  us 
make  allowances.  Do  not  forget  that  we  are  in  Japan." 

"The  very  thing,"  I  urged;  "this  is  the  one  country  in 
the  world  where  adoption  is  the  commonest  incident  of  life. 
There  is  scarcely  a  family  without  an  adopted  member. 
That  makes  it  all  the  more  suitable." 

"  But — dear  me  !  the  subject  is  so  delicate.  Consider 
the  difference — the  divergent — the  opposite — the  contrary 
—  You  understand  me,  of  course." 

"Indeed  I  do  not,  madam." 

"  I  would  say,  then,  the  lack  of  identity  in  sex." 

"Yes,  indeed  !  "  "  Ah,  truly  !  "  were  the  whispered  re- 
sponses of  the  now  excited  listeners. 

"  Come,  Miss  Philipson,"!  argued,  "let  us  be  intelligible, 
if  nothing  else.  You  mean  to  insinuate  that  I  ought  not 
to  adopt  this  child,  because  she  is  a  young  girl  and  I  am 
an  old  man.  That  is  your  point,  I  take  it." 

"  Oh,  Doctor,  how  can  you  say  'insinuate'  ?  That  is  the 
last  thing  I  should  dream  of  doing.  Insinuation  is  the — is 
a  —  What  does  Shakespeare  say  ?  What  is  it,  Kezia, 
about  insinuation,  and  " — 

"  Never  mind  Shakespeare  or  any  other  poet !  "     I  ex- 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  59 

claimed,  driven  to  downright  vexation  by  these  silly  airs. 
"Pray  keep  to  lucid  prose  where  I  am  concerned.  If 
difference  of  sex,  as  you  choose  to  put  it,  has  any  weight  in 
your  mind,  be  good  enough  to  reflect  upon  the  difference 
of  age." 

"Why,  Doctor,  what  posible  idea  can  I  have  about  a 
gentleman's  age  ?  Fancy  such  a  thing  !  "  and  she  tossed 
her  antiquated  head  in  a  grotesque  mummery  of  coquetry. 

"  Fancy  has  nothing  to  do  with  it,  madam.  In  plain 
fact,  I  am  more  than  three  times  as  old  as  Yone.  Old 
enough  to  be  her  father.  Three  times  as  old  ?  Why,  yes; 
nearly  four  times.  Old  enough,  as  marriages  go  in  this 
country,  to  be  her  grandfather." 

"  Impossible,  Doctor  !  " 

"Oh,  quite  impossible!"  echoed  the  unanimous  body 
of  auditors. 

"  Perfectly  possible,"  said  I,  "as  I  will  take  the  liberty  to 
demonstrate.  By  the  custom  of  the  land,  I  might  have  been 
the  father  of  her  mother  when  I  was  twenty,  or  yet 
younger." 

"  Doctor,  I  beg  of  you  " — 

"At  sixteen,  her  mother  might  have  given  birth  to 
Yone." 

"  I  insist,  Doctor  Charwell,  I  insist  " — 

"  And  Yone  is  herself  close  upon  fifteen.  Now  I  think 
of  it,  I  might  be  a  great-grandfather  at  this  moment.  We 
are  in  Japan,  you  know,  Miss  Philipson  !  " 

The  good  lady  fairly  gasped  with  indignation. 

"  I  never  thought  to  hear  such  things  said — in  my  own 
house — to  my  own  face,''  she  articulated. 

"Why  not,  madam  ?  I  merely  state  that  I  am  more  than 
three  times,  and  very  nearly  four  times,  as  old  as  Yone 
Yamada.  Does  any  one  doubt  the  truth  of  it?" 

My  genial  little  friend  Kracken,  who  had  watched  the 
proceedings  with  quivering  but  good-natured  anxiety,  here 
broke  in  : — 


62  YONE  SANTO: 

"  If  you  apply  to  me,"  said  Miss  Philipson,  with  undis- 
turbed coolness,  "  I  don't  see  how  the  question  can  be 
raised  for  a.  moment." 

"And  I  dare  say,"  I  continued,  "that  you  represent  your 
party  here." 

"Oh,  undoubtedly." 

"No  room  for  argument." 

"Not  open  to  discussion." 

These  and  similar  responses  came  from  all  parts  of  the 
room. 

"You  see,  Doctor  Charwell,"  proceeded  the  undaunted 
hostess,  "  we  have  on  one  side  a  respectable  family,  who 
wish  to  settle  the  respectable  daughter  of  their  house  by 
means  of  a  respectable  marriage;  and  on  the  other,  we  have 
— Oh,  going  so  soon  ?  G00d-day,  then.  I  can  only  say, 
Doctor,  that  if  this  project  is  carried  out,  we  shall  be  happy 
to  see  you  as  before,  especially  at  our  Thursdays;  but  we 
must  beg  to  be  excused  from  receiving  Miss  Charwell." 

"  Miss  Charwell  !  "  cried  I,  aghast. 

"  Why,  certainly,"  said  this  embodiment  of  exalted  pro- 
priety, with  the  unerring  aim  of  a  first-class  Parthian  sharp- 
shooter. "  The  least  you  can  do,  I  suppose,  is  to  let  her 
call  herself  by  your  name.  You  would  hardly  expose  the 
unfortunate  creature  " — 

I  waited  for  no  more,  but  got  myself  away  as  I  best 
could,  half  blind  with  rage,  and  invoking  all  sorts  of  swift 
retributive  justice  against  these  experienced  wolves  dis- 
guised as  ancient  lambs,  as  it  then  pleased  me  to  denomi- 
nate them. 

Not  for  a  moment  did  the  thought  of  relinquishing  my 
purpose  occur  to  me.  I  had  set  myself  to  the  work  of 
guarding  a  life  which  had  thus  far  been  overshadowed  by 
undeserved  suffering,  and  so  changing  its  course  that  a  fair 
share  of  the  world's  brightness  should  hereafter  belong  to 
it;  and  I  was  not  likely  to  be  diverted  from  my  intention 
by  any  scarecrows  which  an  absurd  conventionalism  could 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  63 

set  up.  Yone  should  be  my  daughter;  and  if  the  malig- 
nancy of  persecution  should  threaten  her  peace  in  the  new 
position,  we  would  simply  turn  our  backs  upon  Japan 
and  the  whole  East,  and  remove  to  lands  in  which  the 
proportion  of  Anglo-Saxon  intolerance  was  not  so  disa- 
greeably dominant.  Among  circles  where  theoretical 
humanity  and  charity  were  less  aggressively  proclaimed,  I 
might  easily  find  a  more  practical  realization  of  those 
attributes. 


IX. 

THE    LAST    OF    CHILDHOOD. 

BUT  there  were  other  hostile  influences  which  I  had  not 
taken  into  calculation.  Stronger  opposition  than  all  the 
allied  tribes  of  Philipsons  could  have  brought  together  was 
directed  against  my  plan.  The  grandmother,  in  her  un- 
reasoning hatred  of  the  child  whose  mere  existence  had  at 
last  become  an  offense  to  her  distorted  sight,  knew  no 
dearer  wish  than  to  thwart  and  baffle  Yone's  hopes  to  the 
very  end.  This  alone  was  sufficient  to  turn  the  old 
woman's  mind  against  my  proposal.  Her  inherent  aversion 
to  foreigners  doubtless  added  to  the  antagonistic  spirit. 
Under  Japanese  law,  it  was  impossible  to  dispose  of  the 
child's  future  without  the  grandmother's  sanction.  The 
father's  death  left  everything  in  the  hands  of  this  vindic- 
tive guardian.  Unfamiliar  as  I  was,  and  as  most  foreigners 
are  to  this  day,  with  the  rules  governing  the  exercise  of 
domestic  authority,  I  was  at  first  unwilling  to  believe 
that  a  young  girl  could  thus  be  doomed  to  conjugal  wretch- 
edness by  the  simple  word  of  a  confessedly  inimical  rela- 
tive; but  it  needed  only  a  brief  investigation  to  show  that 
the  case  was  absolutely  beyond  appeal. 

Yone  herself  would  not  authorize  or  participate  in  resist- 
ance to  a  principle  which  all  her  race  regard  as  one  of  the 


64  YONE  SANTO  : 

foundations  of  their  social  system.  She  did  not  believe 
that  her  father,  were  he  alive,  would  condemn  her  to  such 
unhappiness;  but  now  she  was  under  the  sway  of  her  near- 
est of  kin,  whose  rights  over  her  were  inviolable.  In  spite 
of  all  her  distress,  she  bowed  before  the  family  traditions, 
and  yielded  to  the  obligations  which  morality  and  religious 
conviction  imposed  upon  her.  I  could  only  look  on,  pow- 
erless to  assist  or  control  her.  The  few  suggestions  which 
I  offered,  in  the  hope  of  stimulating  her  to  direct  rebellion, 
wounded  her  so  that  I  had  no  heart  to  persevere  in  them. 
There  was  only  one  path  of  duty,  she  said,  and  those  who 
now  cared  for  her  would  soon  cease  to  esteem  her  if  she 
deserted  it. 

When  my  proposition  was  first  laid  before  the  Yamada 
household,  it  was  received  in  silence,  according  to  Japanese 
usage,  time  being  always  required  for  deliberation  upon  an 
important  topic,  even  though  nothing  is  likely  to  be  brought 
out  that  can  affect  the  ultimate  decision.  During  the  few 
days  that  passed  before  the  judgment  was  pronounced, 
while  Yone  believed  she  would  be  transferred  to  my  protec- 
tion, she  admitted  me  to  her  confidence  with  a  freedom 
never  before,  and  I  think  never  afterward,  accorded. 
Assuming  that  she  would  soon  be  responsible  to  me  alone,  she 
relieved  her  overcharged  feelings  by  relating  many  details 
of  her  past  experience,  which  I  should  not  have  learned  but 
for  the  impending  change  in  her  cirumstances;  and  of 
which,  indeed,  I  heard  only  enough,  from  her,  to  cause  me 
to  institute  inquiries  on  my  own  account.  Had  I  not 
pursued  these  with  considerable  diligence,  I  should  have 
remained  unaware  of  more  than  a  faint  reflection  of  the 
wrongs  she  had  suffered. 

She  thought  there  could  be  no  great  disloyalty  in  antici- 
pating, by  a  day  or  two,  the  time  when  she  might  unfold 
the  outlines  of  her  history,  and  explain  to  one  who,  she 
knew,  would  listen  with  sympathy,  some  of  the  reasons 
why  her  new  prospects  afforded  her  such  glowing  satis- 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  65 

faction.  But  she  reproached  herself,  later,  for  having  too 
frankly  spoken  her  mind  respecting  the  marriage  planned 
for  her  by  the  grandmother,  and  for  acknowledging  her 
eager  wish  to  escape  from  that  humiliation.  She  had  never 
deviated  from  the  moderation  and  gentleness  which  habitu- 
ally governed  her  speech;  but  when  it  became  certain  that 
no  rescue  was  possible,  and  that  the  union  was  inevitable, 
she  regretted  that  she  had  divulged  a  single  thought  which 
might  be  remembered  as  rebellious  or  impatient  of  her  lot. 
As  the  time  approached  when  she  would  be  called  upon 
to  leave  all  the  associations  of  girlhood  behind  her,  the 
childlike  simplicity  of  her  nature  seemed  to  renew  itself  in 
various  ways.  With  many  a  blush,  she  gave  me  to  under- 
stand that  it  had  cost  her  a  struggle  to  renounce  the  never 
forgotten  and,  till  now,  never  neglected  doll  which  had 
been  the  only  intimate  companion  of  her  solitary  infancy. 
With  regard  to  her  cat,  the  consolation  of  her  more  ad- 
vanced youth, — now  arrived  at  a  stately  and  dignified 
maturity, — she  decided  to  invoke  my  good  offices.  In 
proffering  this  priceless  gift,  she  was  evidently  disturbed 
by  the  fear  that  mankind  at  large  might  not  value  her  pet 
so  highly  as  she  herself  did;  and  was  not  entirely  free  from 
the  suspicion  that  what  she  deemed  a  precious  prize  might 
prove  to  another  an  unwelcome  incumbrance.  She  was, 
moreover,  embarrassed  by  the  necessity  of  concealing  her 
reason  for  parting  from  her  four-footed  friend;  which  was, 
in  fact,  a  vivid  apprehension  of  possible  ill-treatment  for 
him  in  the  new  home  which  awaited  her.  To  reveal  this 
cause  of  anxiety  was  not  compatible  with  her  sense  of  pro- 
priety; but  as  it  was  not  difficult  to  divine,  I  at  once 
averred  that  the  only  unfulfilled  desire  of  my  heart  was  to 
possess  a  cat  of  my  own,  and  not  any  haphazard  selection 
from  cats  in  general,  but  precisely  the  sort  of  animal  which 
Yone  had  rescued  from  aquatic  perdition  in  Nagoya,  and 
brought  to  years  of  discretion  with  prudent  nurture  and 
suitable  training. 


66  YONE  SANTO: 

In  a  case  of  such  extremity,  she  was  not  disposed  to 
probe  my  sincerity  too  deeply,  and  with  little  delay  the 
transfer  was  formally  effected, — not  without  ceremonies  and 
exercises  which  afforded  me  the  liveliest  amusement 
What  bond  of  intelligence  had  been  established  between 
the  creature  and  its  affectionate  mistress,  and  to  what  ex- 
tent the  interchange  of  ideas  had  become  practicable,  no 
man  could  say;  but  it  pleased  Yone  to  assume,  with  a  frac- 
tion of  seriousness  in  her  jest,  that  she  could  hold  intelligible 
conversations  with  the  neko,  and  that  he  was  by  no  means 
insensible  to  the  spell  of  moral  suasion.  It  is  certain  that 
the  pair  would  often  sit  face  to  face  and  hold  dialogues  in 
a  fashion  to  impress  an  attentive  bystander  with  new  and 
enlarged  ideas  respecting  the  animal's  intellectual  qualities. 
Yone  would  open  the  debate,  and  the  cat  would  respond  in 
accents  of  which  I  never  believed  one  of*  his  race  capable. 
On  this  occasion,  Master  Tom  was  placed  upon  a  chair,  and 
informed,  gently  but  gravely,  of  the  altered  future  before 
him.  As  if  regarding  the  announcement  as  a  foolish  fic- 
tion, unworthy  of  serious  notice,  he  simply  moved  his  lips 
slightly,  in  the  direction  of  a  mew,  but  without  emitting  a 
sound, — a  common  expedient  of  his  when  not  interested  in 
the  topic  under  consideration.  Being  addressed  with  more 
earnestness,  he  endeavored  to  take  possession  of  his  mis- 
tress's lap,  purring  melodiously,  and  sending  out  entreaty 
in  measured  cadences.  Finding  himself  repulsed,  and 
compelled  to  listen  to  a  more  determined  statement  of  the 
situation,  he  appeared  to  assume  the  attitude  of  a  cat  under 
the  influence  of  extreme  astonishment,  reversing  his  ears, 
and  wailing  with  increased  energy.  From  this  stage  he 
proceeded  to  more  vehement  demonstrations;  uttering  pro- 
longed and  piercing  screams,  with  his  mouth  stretched  open 
to  its  widest  capacity,  as  Yone  reminded  him,  in  resolute 
terms,  of  the  principles  of  docility  and  obedience  in  which 
he  had  been  reared,  and  by  which  it  was  his  duty  to  be 
guided  at  this  critical  epoch.  Nothing  could  be  more 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  67 

comical.  Even  Yone's  melancholy  yielded  for  a  moment 
to  the  mirthful  provocation. 

All  this  will  be  taken  at  its  proper  value,  as  a  fanciful  in- 
terpretation of  the  feline  dialect;  but  an  incident  which 
followed  showed  that  the  girl  had  acquired,  in  some  inscru- 
table manner,  a  curious  mastery  over  the  animal's  usually 
wayward  will.  When  about  to  take  leave,  her  familiar  pre- 
pared to  accompany  her,  as  a  matter  of  course,  but  was 
put  in  a  corner,  with  stern  rebuke.  Quite  regardless  of  this 
unaccustomed  severity,  the  creature  insisted  on  following 
his  mistress,  and  when  I  tried  forcibly  to  detain  him, 
shrieked  at  me  with  such  wild  vociferation  of  abuse  that  I 
began  to  doubt  the  practicability  of  the  transfer.  As  a  last 
resource,  I  fastened  a  little  dog-collar  about  his  neck,  and 
tied  him  to  a  chair;  but  this  had  the  effect  of  rousing  him 
to  such  fury  as  Japanese  cats  seldom  exhibit, — possibly  be- 
cause, having  no  tails  to  distend,  they  lack  the  chief  acces- 
sory to  an  extreme  display  of  frenzy.  Here,  however,  was 
a  notable  exception  to  the  rule.  He  broke  the  cord,  upset 
the  chair,  tore  off  the  collar,  and  abandoned  himself  to  the 
wildest  exaltation  of  declamatory  emotion,  until  Yone,  who 
had  been  watching  the  experiment  through  a  window,  re- 
turned, and  announced  that  she  would  employ  an  unfailing 
device. 

"You  shall  see,"  she  said.  "I  shall  work  upon  his  self- 
esteem.  I  shall  flatter  him,  and  puff  him  with  vanity  and 
pride." 

Then,  replacing  the  collar,  and  again  fastening  the  cord 
securely,  she  commenced  an  impressive  appeal. 

"  Listen,  Pussinole,  "  (Pussinole  was  a  name  bestowed  in 
the  days  of  her  early  English, — a  twisted  version  of  Old 
Pussy,  which  designation  had  been  applied  in  her  hearing): 
"you  must  respect  the  good  doctor's  collar.  It  is  a  beau- 
tiful collar,  and  no  cat  ever  had  so  wonderful  an  ornament 
before.  It  is  a  great  honor  for  you,  Pussinole,  and  every 
cat  in  Tokio  will  be  envious.  Why,  it  is  like  a  king's 


68  YONE  SANTO: 

necklace.  You  must  keep  it  carefully,  and  not  injure  it. 
How  beautiful  he  looks  in  it,  does  he  not,  Doctor  ?  Come 
and  tell  him  he  is  now  the  handsomest  cat  in  the  world," — 
and  so  following,  for  a  couple  of  minutes  or  more,  at  the 
end  of  which  she  rose,  saying,  "  He  will  be  quiet  now,  and 
give  you  no  more  trouble." 

To  my  amazement,  the  creature  did  not  stir,  and,  while 
appearing  not  altogether  content,  pursued  his  mistress  only 
with  his  eyes.  I  could  not  conceal  my  surprise. 

"  How  did  you  do  it  ?  "  I  asked,  turning  over  in  my  mind 
the  possibilities  of  animal  magnetism  and  similar  enchant- 
ments. "  Do  you  really  believe  the  cat  understands  you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  Doctor,  Pussinole  and  I  cannot  let  you  into  all  our 
secrets.  No,  indeed.  You  had  better  tell  me  what  you 
think." 

"I  think  you  are  a  witch,  of  course;  I  always  thought 
so." 

"  Truly,  Doctor,  I  do  not  know  what  to  say.  I  am  not 
so  silly  as  to  suppose  my  cat  knows  the  meaning  of  my 
words.  Still,  there  is  something  not  easy  to  explain.  He 
is  familiar  with  the  tones  of  my  speech,  at  any  rate.  I 
have  always  talked  to  him  as  I  would  to  a  friend.  For 
many  years  I  have  hardly  had  any  other  person  to  talk  to, 
at  home;  only  my  little  cat.  He  must  comprehend  some- 
thing, for  you  see  how  he  answers.  And  he  is  very  glad  to 
be  praised.  He  will  do  anything,  if  you  compliment  and 
admire  him;  I  am  sure  of  that.  So  there  is  nothing  mar- 
velous about  it." 

Marvelous  or  not,  it  was  true  that  the  animal  made  no 
further  effort  to  escape,  and  allowed  the  restraining  collar 
to  remain  unmolested.  In  course  of  time,  a  certain  inti- 
macy grew  up  between  us;  but  his  most  ecstatic  manifesta- 
tions of  affection  were  reserved  for  Yone,  upon  whom, 
whenever  she  visited  him,  he  lavished  every  endearment  of 
which  a  cat  is  capable;  purring,  chuckling,  "chortling," 
closing  and  outstretching  his  claws,  rubbing  his  head 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  6g 

against  her  as  if  he  would  wear  away  the  fur,  and  entering 
into  animated  conversation  upon  the  slightest  encourage- 
ment. But  neither  with  me  nor  with  any  other  human  ac- 
quaintance would  he  ever  exchange  a  word,  on  any  subject. 
The  power  of  engaging  him  in  oral  discourse  belonged  to 
Yone  alone. 


X. 


THE     BRIDEGROOM. 

THE  marriage  took  place  in  the  autumn  of  1878,  and  this 
fair  and  fragile  blossom  of  Japanese  womanhood,  not  only 
gifted  with  the  delicate  grace  which  distinguishes  the 
daughters  of  the  higher  Japanese  gentry,  but  also  endowed 
with  the  rare  charm  of  an  awakened  and  enfranchised  intel- 
ligence, to  which  few  among  them  have  even  yet  attained, 
— this  gentle  body  and  sensitive  soul  were  delivered  over 
to  the  mastery  of  a  coarse-minded,  rough-mannered,  igno- 
rant workman;  a  boat-builder,  whom  chance  had  thrown  in 
the  way  of  the  heartless  relatives,  and  whose  sole  motive  in 
agreeing  to  the  transaction  was  a  desire  to  obtain  undis- 
puted control  over  one  of  the  class  which  in  his  youth  and 
middle  age  had  ruled  the  land,  and  kept  the  populace,  to 
which  he  belonged,  in  an  ignoble  and  degraded  subjuga- 
tion. Times  had  changed  since  the  advent  of  the  for- 
eigner, and  the  humble  laborer  could  now  not  merely  hold 
his  own,  but  might  assert,  at  times,  a  degree  of  ascendency 
over  the  fallen  members  of  the  once-omnipotent  aristoc- 
racy. By  industry  and  moderate  skill  in  his  craft,  this 
boat-builder  had  made  himself  sure  of  a  sufficient  income; 
and  it  suited  his  humor,  in  his  declining  years,  to  set  up  a 
well-born  wife  in  his  plebeian  dwelling. 

His  character,  like  that  of  many  in  his  station,  seemed  to 
a  casual  observer  almost  colorless.  Not  this  nor  the  next 
generation  of  laboring  men  can  lift  themselves,  as  a  body, 


70  YONE  SANTO: 

from  the  posture  of  dependence  and  servility  which  was 
natural  to  them  while  feudalism  lasted  in  Japan.  This 
man,  Santo  Yorikichi  by  name,  knew  that  the  shackles  had 
been  taken  from  his  limbs,  and  it  gratified  him  to  exercise 
his  newly  acquired  liberty  in  vague  and  purposeless  direc- 
tions. But,  at  his  age,  he  could  not  get  his  spirit  out  of 
the  ancient  bondage,  and  it  was  plain  that  he  would  never 
learn  the  full  value  of  his  opportunities.  He  was  illiterate 
to  a  degree  rarely  encountered  among  his  countrymen,  the 
rudest  of  whom  receive  at  least  some  sort  of  elementary 
instruction,  and  was  almost  grotesquely  uncouth  in  appear- 
ance. To  the  world  generally  he  was  good-natured,  hon- 
est, peaceable  and  dull.  His  frolicking  days  were  past, 
and  he  had  long  ceased  to  look  upon  amusement  in  any 
form  as  a  necessity  of  life.  In  his  own  home,  where  I 
sought  him  before  the  marriage,  and  where  I  found  him 
waited  upon  by  a  couple  of  obsequious  concubines  and  two 
or  three  active  servants,  he  was  autocratic,  selfish,  wholly 
indifferent  to  the  feelings  of  those  around  him,  and  ready 
to  rule  his  minions  with  cold-blooded  tolerance,  or  with  an 
equally  cold-blooded  tyranny,  as  his  convenience  or  the 
whim  of  the  moment  might  dictate. 

When  I  first  visited  him,  and  opened  negotiations  for  a 
pleasure-boat  of  his  construction,  he  exhibited  the  anima- 
tion appropriate  to  the  prospect  of  a  bargain.  I  spoke  of 
his  impending  marriage,  at  which  he  evinced  some  surprise, 
but  presently  recovered  himself,  and  put  on  an  expression, 
the  rigid  stolidity  of  which  I  never  saw  equaled.  I  asked 
him,  point-blank,  if  he  should  object  to  his  wife's  continued 
intercourse  with  her  foreign  friends,  at  which  he  grunted; 
not  wholly  in  disapproval,  it  appeared,  but  because  the  idea 
was  one  which  had  not  before  occurred  to  him,  and  he  was 
unprepared  with  a  reply.  I  then  suggested — this  being  an 
ingenious  conception  of  my  own,  with  which  I  had  not  ac- 
quainted Yone — that  his  future  consort  had  it  in  her  power 
to  render  good  service,  under  certain  circumstances,  as  an 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  71 

interpreter;  and  that  I  hoped  an  arrangement  might  be 
made  by  which  she  could  go  forth,  at  intervals,  and  prac- 
tice that  vocation.  My  idea  was  to  relieve  her,  if  possible, 
from  the  wearying  monotony  of  constant  confinement  at 
home,  to  which  most  Japanese  wives  of  humbler  grade  are 
subjected, — not  so  much  to  insure  their  fidelity  as  from  a 
general  carelessness  as  to  their  wishes,  their  comfort,  their 
health,  or  anything  pertaining  to  their  physical  or  mental 
welfare. 

When  I  paused,  Santo  Yorikichi  grunted.  I  intimated 
that  the  labors  of  a  translator  were  justly  entitled  to  remu- 
neration, whereat  again  he  emitted  the  sound  which  he  was 
evidently  accustomed  to  employ  as  an  effective  part  of 
speech,  but  to  which  no  significance  could  be  assigned 
by  a  stranger.  I  then  feebly  hinted  that  if  she  could 
not  be  spared  from  the  premises,  it  might  be  so  man- 
aged that  those  in  need  of  her  assistance  should  call  at 
Mr.  Boat-Builder's  establishment,  at  such  times  as  would 
be  to  him  agreeable.  This  time  the  guttural  response  ap- 
peared to  come  from  such  a  well-like  depth  of  abstraction 
and  vacuity  that  I  could  attempt  no  more,  and  returned  to 
the  ostensible  object  of  my  errand.  Then  his  eye  kindled 
again  with  the  light  of  prospective  traffic,  and  conversation 
became  once  more  articulate  and  intelligible. 

I  feared  that  my  efforts  had  been  wasted,  and  that  I 
should  find  myself  burdened  with  the  cost  of  a  wherry,  with- 
out the  equivalent  I  especially  wished  to  secure;  but  I  was 
wrong.  Before  my  departure, — the  conditions  and  price  of 
the  craft  being  satisfactorily  adjusted, — Santo  turned  to 
me  with  a  listless  air,  grunted  thrice,  and  unloaded  his 
mind.  As  to  a  wife,  yes,  he  was  about  to  give  himself  one. 
He  had  never  happened  to  meet  her,  but  the  fact  was  as  I 
had  stated.  Also,  she  had  several  foreign  friends.  That 
he  had  heard.  He  did  not  object  to  foreigners.  He  be- 
lieved they  called  him  uncomplimentary  names,  sometimes, 
but  as  he  could  not  understand  them,  that  did  not  matter 


72  YON£  SANTO: 

— much.  In  fact,  it  would  not  matter  at  all,  if  they  did  not 
occasionally  ramble,  more  or  less  tipsy,  into  his  boat-yard, 
mistaking  it  for  a  neighboring  tea-garden  of  hilarious  re- 
pute, and  order  his  women  about.  On  the  other  hand, 
foreigners  were  good  customers  of  his,  and  they  always 
paid  well.  Not  that  his  charges  were  ever  excessive,  he 
hastened  to  add;  only,  so  to  speak — yes — and  a  grunt. 
Well,  though  he  was  not  adverse  to  foreigners,  on  the 
whole,  he  had  a  poor  opinion  of  the  learning  they  had 
brought  into  the  country.  It  was  bad  enough  to  puzzle 
the  minds  of  men  with  it,  and  uproot  the  everlasting 
principles  of  things;  but  to  bedevil  women  in  the  same  way, 
that  was  simply — grunt.  If  his  wife  brought  any  foreign 
learning  into  his  house,  she  would  have  to  keep  it  all  inside 
her  own  body.  The  only  possible  use  for  it  would  be  when 
some  imperfectly  educated  person,  with  lingual  faculties 
restricted  to  German,  or  English,  or  American,  or  such 
fantastic  tongues,  should  approach  him  in  the  way  of  busi- 
ness; then  it  might  be  desirable  to  have  a  wife  who  could 
supply  the  deficiency.  Curiously  enough,  he  had  never 
thought  of  that  before.  But  then  he  had  not  thought  much 
of  anything  connected  with  his  impending  nuptials.  As  to 
her  running  about  Tokio,  translating  for  people  here  and 
there,  it  would  be  entirely  impossible  for  him  to  entertain  such 
a  notion.  That  was  to  say,  he  could  not  have  entertained 
it  if  I  had  not  also  referred  to  compensation.  This  consid- 
eration naturally  removed  some  of  the  objections  which  he, 
as  a  sober-minded  Japanese  workingman,  would  otherwise 
be  bound  to  take  into  calculation.  His  wife's  learning 
would  make  a  mighty  poor  show  in  the  boat-yard,  but  if  it 
were  marketable  elsewhere,  no  doubt  something  might  be 
done.  But  the  money  must  be  paid  into  his  hands,  not 
into  hers,  to  be  trifled  away  in  books  and  other  playthings; 
and  as  he  was  a  person  of  independent  means,  under  no 
necessity  of  adding  to  his  income  by  the  method  proposed, 
the  emolument  must  be  on  a  larrre  and  liberal  scale.  He 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN,  73 

must — grunt — looking  at  what  was  due  to  his  position  as  a 
man  of  substance — grunt — yes,  surely,  he  could  not  afford 
to  be  content  with — grunt,  grunt,  grunt — less  than  ten  sen 
(at  that  time  about  seven  cents)  a  day. 

I  was  so  rejoiced  at  this  unlooked  for  success  in  securing 
to  Yone  a  fair  opportunity  for  relaxation,  and  also  for  pur- 
suing her  studies, — which  latter  could  easily  be  managed 
under  the  promised  permission  to  interpret, — that  my 
thrifty  boat-builder  at  once  saw  he  had  failed  to  take  the 
highest  advantage  of  the  situation.  He  began  to  grumble 
that  he  ought  to  have  stipulated  for  twelve  sen  a  day,  or 
possibly  fifteen;  and  I  should  doubtless  have  acceded  to 
anything,  in  or  out  of  reason,  had  I  not  feared  worse  con- 
sequences than  the  loss  of  an  insignificant  trifle  of  money. 
If  his  first  demand  had  been  twenty  times  what  it  was,  I 
should  not  have  refused.  Indeed,  it  was  far  beyond  my 
hope  to  arrive  at  any  definite  agreement  in  that  original  in- 
terview. But  I  composed  my  countenance,  and  insisted 
that  hands  should  be  clapped,  and  the  contract  ratified  on 
the  spot.  Otherwise,  I  hinted,  I  might  recede  from  my 
pledge  with  regard  to  the  boat;  for,  as  I  remarked  with  se- 
vere dignity,  though  with  questionable  logic,  a  man  who  in 
an  ordinary  bargain  will  not  stick  to  terms  of  his  own 
making  cannot  possibly  construct  a  boat  that  will  not  cap- 
size as  soon  as  it  is  launched.  So,  it  was  then  and  there  set 
down  in  writing — not  by  the  builder  himself,  who  was  un- 
ready with  his  pencil,  but  by  his  foreman — that  from  and 
after  the  date  of  her  espousal,  Yone,  the  wife  of  Santo 
Yorikichi,  should  be  allowed  to  serve  as  an  interpreter  to 
Edward  Charwell,  or  to  others  whom  he  might  designate, 
during  one  complete  and  undivided  day  of  each  week,  in 
consideration  of  the  sum  of  ten  sen,  to  be  paid  for  each  day 
of  such  service  by  the  said  Edward  Charwell  to  the  said 
Santo  Yorikichi.  To  this  the  requisite  seals  were  affixed, 
and  I  retired  in  better  spirits  than  I  had  been  able  to  muster 
for  many  a  day. 


74  YONE  SANTO: 

It  was  necessary  to  convey  a  warning  to  Yone,  lest  she 
should  betray  too  much  satisfaction  on  hearing  from  Santo 
of  the  profitable  use  he  had  discovered  for  her.  This  was 
done  in  a  letter,  which  carefully  smoothed  away  the  scruples 
she  might  have  labored  under;  for  she  had  an  uncomfort- 
ably tender  conscience  with  respect  to  concealments  or 
deceptions  of  even  the  most  innocent  character.  I  did  not 
see  her  before  the  wedding,  nor  was  I  permitted  to  be  pres- 
ent at  the  ceremony, — or,  rather,  at  that  which  in  Japan 
passes  for  a  marriage  ceremony.  So  positive  were  her  rel- 
atives in  their  determination  to  break  up  her  foreign  asso- 
ciations that  when  a  select  party  of  the  Philipson  sisterhood 
went  in  state  to  offer  their  congratulations  upon  the  auspi- 
cious occasion,  and  to  express  their  content  that  the  dear 
girl  had  safely  weathered  all  the  perils  which  environ 
Japanese  girlhood  in  general,  and  the  unspeakable  peril  of 
a  dubious  entanglement  with  that  headstrong  Doctor  Char- 
well  in  particular, — so  decided  were  the  grandmother  and 
aunts  in  their  views  that  they  temporarily  stepped  outside 
of  the  limits  prescribed  by  conventional  politeness,  and 
astonished  the  good  missionary  ladies  by  a  demonstration 
of  such  unmistakable  malevolence  that  the  most  brazen 
effrontery  was  powerless  against  it.  Probably  the  use  of 
my  name  was  an  error,  and  the  reference  to  my  dark  designs 
was  misunderstood  by  those  to  whom  it  was  addressed;  for 
the  elder  Miss  Philipson  could  not  resist  the  temptation  to 
reject  Yone's  assistance,  and  to  conduct  the  conversation 
in  that  remarkable  jargon  which  she  evolved  from  her  in- 
ternal consciousness,  and  denominated  Japanese, — partially 
encouraged  thereto,  it  may  be,  by  the  admission  of  philolo- 
gists that  it  could  not  possibly  be  mistaken  for  any  other 
tongue. 

"I  spoke  to  them  with  the  greatest  distinctness,"  she 
subsequently  observed,  in  describing  the  scene,  "  knowing 
that  they  were  natives  of  a  distant  province,  where  the  dia- 
lect is  no  doubt  corrupted.  But  one  cannot  be  expected  to 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  75 

be  equally  at  ease  in  all  the  patois  of  this  heterogeneous 
country,  and  so  I  failed  to  make  them — that  is  to  say,  they 
failed  to  comprehend  me.  I  am  disposed  to  believe  they 
are  very  proper  persons,  for  I  am  sure  they  made  every 
effort  to  understand,  until  I  mentioned,  as  in  duty  bound, 
the  name  of  Doctor  Charwell.  Then,  in  their  righteous 
indignation  at  his  plots  and  schemes,  they  were  unable  to 
control  themselves,  and  they  broke  forth  with  a  volubility 
that  quite  confused  me.  We  must  make  allowance  for  the 
feelings  of  a  grandmother" — 

"  And  an  aunt,"  insinuated  Miss  Kezia. 

"  And  an  aunt,  sister,"  assented  the  senior,  not  much 
liking  the  interruption.  "  Two  aunts,"  I  believe  there 
were,"  she  added,  with  the  familiar  Philipson  disinclination 
to  accept  any  statement  without  tacking  an  amendment  or 
variation  to  it.  "  If  they  were  not  leaving  so  soon  for  the 
region  where  their  singular  dialect  prevails,  I  should  follow 
up  the  opening.  Sister  Kezia  had  an  idea  that  we  might 
do  well  to  attend  the  wedding,  and  give  our  countenance 
to  the  affair;  but  I  am  not  so  sure  that  we  are  justified  in 
upholding,  by  our  presence,  these  unconsecrated  heathen 
unions." 

Sister  Kezia  winced,  as  if  feeling  too  heavy  a  burden 
thrown  unfairly  on  her  shoulders;  for,  in  truth,  the  design 
of  "countenancing"  the  ceremony  had  originated  solely 
with  Miss  Sophia,  and  had  been  abandoned  in  consequence 
of  the  unpromising  demeanor  of  the  Yamada  household. 
The  younger  lady  drew  herself  up,  and  seemed  about  to 
deliver  a  protest,  but  was  promptly  repressed  by  the  domi- 
nating spirit  of  the  establishment. 

"  No,  dear  Kezia,  no,"  she  said,  "  I  do  not  find  it  borne 
in  upon  me  to  go.  I  think,  friends,  that  in  these  matters 
we  are  bound  to  obey  the  inward  monitor.  My  sister  is  at 
liberty  to  follow  the  dictates  of  her  own  conscience,  and  I 


76  YONE  SANTO: 

should  not  think  of  opposing  her  desires;  but  for  my  part, 
it  seems  to  me  that  we  can  hardly  be  too  mindful  that  we 
are  in  Japan.  That  is  a  fact  which  should  never  be  lost 
sight  of." 


XL 


TRANQUIL    DAYS. 

ALL  things  fairly  considered,  Yone's  lot  promised  to  be 
less  unhappy  than  I,  in  my  anxious  solicitude,  had  appre- 
hended. It  might  have  been  infinitely  worse,  though, 
unhappily,  there  was  no  assurance  that  it  would  not  be- 
come intolerable  at  any  time;  for  Japanese  wives  are  as 
utterly  dependent  upon  the  will  of  their  husbands  as  any 
slaves  on  earth  are  subservient  to  their  masters.  The  ill- 
regulated  conjugal  system  is  a  blot  which  has  yet  to  be 
effaced  from  the  social  record  of  the  country.  The  happi- 
ness, comfort,  even  the  life  and  death,  of  a  wife  may  hang 
upon  the  caprice  of  the  man  to  whom  she  has  been  given 
in  wedlock. 

Santo  was  a  rough  sort  of  animal,  with  even  less  educa- 
tion than  the  average  of  his  order,  destitute  of  the  first 
rudiment  of  refinement,  troubled  with  no  definite  ideas 
respecting  morality,  despotic  in  his  temper,  gifted  with 
small  capacity  for  affection,  incredulous  of  the  existence  of 
feminine  delicacy  or  susceptibility,  and  possessed  of  an  in- 
ordinate vanity,  — though  upon  what  grounds  his  self- 
approval  was  based  he  would  probably  have  been  unable  to 
explain.  On  the  other  hand,  he  was  not  reputed  violent 
or  brutal,  nor  rancorous  in  speech,  except  when  vexed  by 
opposition.  He  exacted  no  unreasonable  service  from  his 
family  or  other  subordinates;  allowed  those  about  him  a 
healthful  measure  of  physical  relaxation;  and  having  no 
sordid  or  miserly  love  of  lucre,  though  fond  of  accumulat- 
ing money  for  the  consequence  it  gave  him,  there  was 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  77 

nothing  meagre  in  his  provision  for  the  material  wants  of 
his  household.  At  least  my  poor  girl  would  not  languish 
for  lack  of  proper  nourishment,  nor  droop  under  labors  to 
which  her  strength  was  not  commensurate. 

Soon  after  the  marriage  an  event  occurred  which  had 
the  effect  of  enabling  her  to  secure  all  the  possible  advan- 
tages of  her  position.  Working  in  his  yard,  upon  the  very 
boat  which  I  had  ordered  from  him,  her  husband  one  day 
dealt  himself,  with  an  adze,  a  heavy  blow  upon  the  foot, 
the  result  of  which  was  to  keep  him  on  his  back  for  a  fort- 
night, in  no  little  pain,  but  not  in  peril  of  any  sort.  Acci- 
dents of  the  kind  were  not  uncommon,  though  they  gener- 
ally fell  to  the  share  of  the  inferior  workmen.  Santo's 
peevish  irritability,  under  the  smart  of  the  wound  and  the 
inevitable  spell  of  compulsory  idleness,  was  at  first  out- 
rageous. For  a  time,  he  would  not  bear  the  sight  of 
Yone  near  him,  and  descanted  oracularly  upon  the  use- 
lessness  of  a  learned  baby  at  a  wounded  man's  bedside; 
but  she  presently  found  means  of  proving  that  her  patience 
and  gentleness,  not  to  speak  of  her  intelligent  sensitiveness 
to  suffering,  were  of  greater  value  than  the  more  experi- 
enced but  less  sympathetic  qualifications  of  his  clumsy-fin- 
gered pair  of  mistresses, — whom,  I  should  mention,  it  had 
not  occurred  to  him,  any  more  than  it  would  have  occurred 
to  any  ordinary  Japanese,  to  dismiss  at  the  advent  of  his 
legitimate  bride.  There  was  a  virtue,  till  then  unknown 
to  him,  in  her  light  and  dexterous  touch.  The  "hand  of 
little  employment"  had  " the  daintier  sense,"  and  it  was 
not  long  before  it  pleased  the  master  to  discard  entirely  the 
attentions  of  his  wonted  companions,  not  at  all  to  their  dis- 
satisfaction, and  throw  the  whole  duty  of  nursing  him  upon 
his  wife. 

After  all,  it  was  incomparably  less  exhausting  than  the 
toil  to  which  she  had  been  condemned  by  her  grandparent. 
Santo  had  started  upon  his  wedded  life  with  an  undefined 
purpose  of  "breaking  in  "  his  aristocratic  spouse;  of  bring- 


78  YONE  SANTO: 

ing  her  down  to  his  own  level  in  short  order,  and  convinc- 
ing her  that  the  might  of  marital  authority  was  to  be  the 
only  recognized  power  in  his  house.  But  he  discovered, 
rather  to  his  astonishment,  that  he  had  no  material  to  work 
upon.  The  girl  was  as  docile  from  the  beginning  as  he 
could  have  expected  to  make  her  by  months  of  the  pro- 
posed treatment.  This,  however,  might  be  a  trick  of 
feminine  craft,  to  lure  him  from  his  scheme  of  discipline, 
and  beguile  him  into  habits  of  indulgence.  While  these 
doubts  were  moving  in  his  mind,  not  actively  by  any  means, 
but  in  a  heavy,  drowsy  fashion,  he  laid  himself  low,  and 
gave  his  sluggish  reason  an  opportunity  of  acting  in  the 
right  direction. 

The  extent  of  Yone's  influence  over  him  was  shown  in 
his  totally  unexpected  consent  to  submit  the  injured  foot 
to  foreign  surgical  treatment.  Her  first  attempts  at  per- 
suasion were  pushed  aside,  with  grunts  of  withering  scorn 
and  spite.  But  when  I  called,  one  day,  professedly  to  in- 
quire about  my  boat,  she  described  so  cleverly  some  of  the 
results  of  my  practice  in  similar  cases — simple  enough  in 
point  of  fact,  but  marvelous,  I  presume,  in  the  unaccus- 
tomed eyes  of  the  Japanese — that  he  grudgingly  yielded. 
But  only  as  an  experiment,  he  declared.  If  the  foot  did  not 
improve  within  twenty-four  hours,  he  should,  with  all  cour- 
tesy and  respect  to  me,  return  to  his  own  time-honored 
specifics.  In  any  case,  he  could  not  ruin  himself  by  paying 
such  fees  as  the  foreign  physicians  always  charged.  I 
argued  with  him  that,  as  the  accident  had  happened  while 
he  was  working  on  my  account,  it  was  my  duty,  by  all  the 
settled  principles  of  European  and  American  justice,  to 
cure  him  without  any  fee  at  all.  He  wagged  his  ugly  head 
with  an  air  of  simious  sagacity,  and  said  that  foreign 
morality  was  established  on  a  more  honorable  basis  than 
he  had  supposed;  and  Yone,  believing  that  I  told  the 
truth,  lifted  her  flushed  face  with  an  expression  of  relief 
such  as  I  would  willingly  have  purchased  at  the  cost  of  a 
dozen  fibs  of  the  same  pattern,  or  worse. 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  79 

It  was  not  difficult  to  set  him  on  his  legs  with  very  little 
delay,  and  after  his  recovery  he  did  not  resume  the  subor- 
dinating processes  which  he  had  previously  thought  ex- 
pedient. He  manifested  no  gratitude  for  the  care  which  had 
been  lavished  upon  him;  that  was  a  matter  of  course,  al- 
though he  had  not  thought  it  was  in  the  girl  to  do  so  well. 
If  anybody  had  suggested  to  him  that  it  might  not  be  amiss 
to  reward  her  with  a  word  of  acknowledgment,  he  would 
simply  have  stared,  and  grunted.  But,  without  the  slight- 
est direct  intention  on  his  part,  probably  with  no  conscious- 
ness of  deviating  from  his  normal  course,  he  certainly  did 
make  a  new  distinction  between  her  and  the  two  women 
who  lived  with  him  in  a  meaner  capacity.  Perhaps  it  was 
the  outgrowth  of  a  feeling  similar  to  that  which  would  be 
called  forth  by  some  workman's  development  of  special 
skill.  She  had  done  a  job  better  than  others  had  done  it 
before  her.  But  I  never  looked  very  deeply  into  the 
matter,  nor  am  I  sure  that  there  was  anything  to  analyze. 
It  was  satisfactory,  so  far  as  it  went. 

Yone's  life  would  soon  have  fallen  into  a  dreary  routine 
but  for  the  privilege  I  had  fortunately  procured  for  her. 
One  day  in  every  week  she  was  free  to  go  forth  and  earn  a 
ridiculous  mite, — though  her  husband  did  not  know  how 
ridiculous  it  was, — by  discharging  nominal  duties  which,  I  am 
free  to  confess,  had  not  much  the  appearance  of  systematic 
translation.  For  half  an  hour,  or  it  might  be  double  that 
time,  she  would  diligently  turn  certain  passages  of  my  lec- 
tures into  Japanese,  or  convert  a  few  pages  of  native  his- 
tory, science,  or  philosophy  into  English.  Then  she  would 
be  dismissed  to  take  a  wholesome  walk,  to  visit  friends,  to 
idle  as  industriously  as  she  might;  always  returning  before 
evening  to  get  the  books  required  for  the  study  with  which 
she  was  for  the  time  occupied.  Of  the  harmlessness  of 
these  mild  prevarications  she  allowed  herself  to  be  con- 
vinced; and,  indeed,  I  think  she  fully  realized  that  the  dead 
weight  of  such  an  existence  as  that  to  which  she  was 


So  YONE  SANTO: 

doomed  would  have  utterly  paralyzed  her  mind  but  for  the 
relief  provided  for  her.  Every  Saturday  morning  the 
gentle  little  woman,  who  ought  to  have  been  kept  a  child 
for  years  to  come,  appeared  with  her  package  of  books,  on 
the  top  of  which  was  always  a  pretty  bunch  of  flowers  for 
my  desk,  prepared  to  repeat  on  her  knees,  as  a  Japanese 
may  do  without  abasement,  her  grateful,  tremulous  formula 
of  thanks  to  me  for  having  saved  her  life,  she  thought, 
her  reason,  she  was  sure.  No  protest,  however  stern;  no 
request,  however  earnest;  no  pretense  of  displeasure  could 
ever  induce  her  to  forego  that  touching  refrain. 

While  seeking  for  the  means  to  make  her  weekly  day  of 
leisure  a  happy  one,  I  lighted  upon  the  discovery  that  she 
had  resumed  her  friendly  relations  with  the  Philipsons. 
There  was  no  room  for  lingering  resentment  in  that  forgiv- 
ing heart.  She  begged  me  not  to  be  offended.  They  had 
been  kind  to  her  once;  they  meant,  in  their  manner,  to  be 
kind  to  her  always.  If  they  had  not  understood  her,  it  was 
so  easy  to  excuse  them;  and  since  my  anger  had  been  only 
on  her  account,  would  I  not  make  her  glad  by  excusing 
them,  too  ?  That,  in  various  forms,  was  her  constant  plea. 
Well,  well;  of  what  use  was  it  to  tell  her  they  were  not 
worthy  of  the  affection  she  awarded  them  ?  Her  humility 
was  as  frank  and  genuine  as  her  bounteous  magnanimity. 
It  was  not  for  me  to  gainsay  her,  nor  to  check  the  outflow 
of  her  pure  goodness.  And  so,  in  her  simplicity,  she 
suffered  herself  to  be  preached  at,  pestered,  and  often  sad- 
dened by  these  querulous  and  discontented  old  maids,  who 
never  dreamed  that  a  light  too  fine  for  their  dull  vision 
made  their  sombre  house  radiant  with  love  and  charity 
whenever  she  visited  it.  The  only  kindred  spirits  there  who 
felt,  without  caring  to  comprehend,  her  influence  were  the 
little  children, — especially  the  invalids,  to  whom  her  coming 
brought  a  peace  like  the  tranquil  beauty  of  a  fairer  sphere. 
These  were  the  friends  who  never  doubted,  never  pained 
her.  They  clung  to  her  when  their  fading  power  of  recog- 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  Si 

nition   extended  to   no  others.     Once,  a  dying  girl,  whom 
she  had  sorrowfully  left  at  nightfall,  said  to  her  nurse, — 

"Yone  has  gone  away.  It  is  all  dark  without  her. 
Please  put  me  near  the  window;  then  the  stars  will  shine 
upon  me,  as  she  does  always." 


XII. 


THE    GATHERING    OF    A    STORM. 

ARTHUR  MILTON  was  a  pleasant,  bright-faced  young 
American,  who,  in  the  early  Spring  of  1879,  came  to  Japan 
with  a  party  of  travelers  of  the  class  somewhat  disrespect- 
fully and  not  very  wittily  designated  "globe-trotters,"  for 
no  apparent  reason,  except  that  their  route  of  exploration 
embraces  the  whole  circuit  of  the  earth,  instead  of  being 
confined  to  a  limited  section  thereof.  What  there  is  about 
this  to  justify  the  application  of  an  epithet  intended  to  be 
offensive,  I  have  never  been  able  to  understand.  The 
group  of  wanderers  to  which  I  refer  numbered  perhaps 
half  a  dozen,  and  included  the  mother  and  sister  of  Milton, 
both  widows,  and  other  near  relations.  They  brought  let- 
ters to  me  and  to  the  Philipsons,  in  Tokio,  and  one  of  the 
methods  employed  to  render  their  sojourn  agreeable  was  to 
send  Yone  about  with  them  on  occasional  raids  among  the 
silk-shops,  bric-a-brac  warehouses,  and  other  repositories 
alluring  to  casual  visitors.  It  was  upon  one  of  these  expe- 
ditions that  she  met  Miss  Gibson,  the  young  delegate  from 
a  United  States  mission,  who  had  crossed  the  ocean  with 
the  Milton  party,  and  had  naturally  accompanied  them  in 
some  of  their  sight-seeing  rambles. 

When  the  period  arrived  for  the  circumambulators  to  pro- 
ceed on  their  westward  course,  the  young  gentleman  I  have 
mentioned  announced  that  he  found  the  limitation  of  time 
they  had  assigned  to  Japan  entirely  inadequate.  He  thought 
that  months,  not  weeks,  should  be  devoted  to  this  interest- 


So  YONE  SANTO: 

doomed  would  have  utterly  paralyzed  her  mind  but  for  the 
relief  provided  for  her.  Every  Saturday  morning  the 
gentle  little  woman,  who  ought  to  have  been  kept  a  child 
for  years  to  come,  appeared  with  her  package  of  books,  on 
the  top  of  which  was  always  a  pretty  bunch  of  flowers  for 
my  desk,  prepared  to  repeat  on  her  knees,  as  a  Japanese 
may  do  without  abasement,  her  grateful,  tremulous  formula 
of  thanks  to  me  for  having  saved  her  life,  she  thought, 
her  reason,  she  was  sure.  No  protest,  however  stern;  no 
request,  however  earnest;  no  pretense  of  displeasure  could 
ever  induce  her  to  forego  that  touching  refrain. 

While  seeking  for  the  means  to  make  her  weekly  day  of 
leisure  a  happy  one,  I  lighted  upon  the  discovery  that  she 
had  resumed  her  friendly  relations  with  the  Philipsons. 
There  was  no  room  for  lingering  resentment  in  that  forgiv- 
ing heart.  She  begged  me  not  to  be  offended.  They  had 
been  kind  to  her  once;  they  meant,  in  their  manner,  to  be 
kind  to  her  always.  If  they  had  not  understood  her,  it  was 
so  easy  to  excuse  them;  and  since  my  anger  had  been  only 
on  her  account,  would  I  not  make  her  glad  by  excusing 
them,  too  ?  That,  in  various  forms,  was  her  constant  plea. 
Well,  well;  of  what  use  was  it  to  tell  her  they  were  not 
worthy  of  the  affection  she  awarded  them  ?  Her  humility 
was  as  frank  and  genuine  as  her  bounteous  magnanimity. 
It  was  not  for  me  to  gainsay  her,  nor  to  check  the  outflow 
of  her  pure  goodness.  And  so,  in  her  simplicity,  she 
suffered  herself  to  be  preached  at,  pestered,  and  often  sad- 
dened by  these  querulous  and  discontented  old  maids,  who 
never  dreamed  that  a  light  too  fine  for  their  dull  vision 
made  their  sombre  house  radiant  with  love  and  charity 
whenever  she  visited  it.  The  only  kindred  spirits  there  who 
felt,  without  caring  to  comprehend,  her  influence  were  the 
little  children, — especially  the  invalids,  to  whom  her  coming 
brought  a  peace  like  the  tranquil  beauty  of  a  fairer  sphere. 
These  were  the  friends  who  never  doubted,  never  pained 
her.  They  clung  to  her  when  their  fading  power  of  recog- 


A   CHILD  OF  JAP  A. V.  Si 

nition   extended  to   no  others.     Once,  a  dying  girl,  whom 
she  had  sorrowfully  left  at  nightfall,  said  to  her  nurse,— 

"Yone  has  gone  away.  It  is  all  dark  without  her. 
Please  put  me  near  the  window;  then  the  stars  will  shine 
upon  me,  as  she  does  always." 


XII. 


THE    GATHERING    OF    A    STORM. 

ARTHUR  MILTON  was  a  pleasant,  bright-faced  young 
American,  who,  in  the  early  Spring  of  1879,  came  to  Japan 
with  a  party  of  travelers  of  the  class  somewhat  disrespect- 
fully and  not  very  wittily  designated  "globe-trotters,"  for 
no  apparent  reason,  except  that  their  route  of  exploration 
embraces  the  whole  circuit  of  the  earth,  instead  of  being 
confined  to  a  limited  section  thereof.  What  there  is  about 
this  to  justify  the  application  of  an  epithet  intended  to  be 
offensive,  I  have  never  been  able  to  understand.  The 
group  of  wanderers  to  which  I  refer  numbered  perhaps 
half  a  dozen,  and  included  the  mother  and  sister  of  Milton, 
both  widows,  and  other  near  relations.  They  brought  let- 
ters to  me  and  to  the  Philipsons,  in  Tokio,  and  one  of  the 
methods  employed  to  render  their  sojourn  agreeable  was  to 
send  Yone  about  with  them  on  occasional  raids  among  the 
silk-shops,  bric-a-brac  warehouses,  and  other  repositories 
alluring  to  casual  visitors.  It  was  upon  one  of  these  expe- 
ditions that  she  met  Miss  Gibson,  the  young  delegate  from 
a  United  States  mission,  who  had  crossed  the  ocean  with 
the  Milton  party,  and  had  naturally  accompanied  them  in 
some  of  their  sight-seeing  rambles. 

When  the  period  arrived  for  the  circumambulators  to  pro- 
ceed on  their  westward  course,  the  young  gentleman  I  have 
mentioned  announced  that  he  found  the  limitation  of  time 
they  had  assigned  to  Japan  entirely  inadequate.  He  thought 
that  months,  not  weeks,  should  be  devoted  to  this  interest- 


82  YOKE  SANTO: 

ing  land,  and  regretted  that  the  programme  had  been  so 
disproportionately  laid  out.  While  agreeing  with  him  as 
to  the  fascinations  of  Japan,  his  friends  ventured  to  sug- 
gest that  as  they  had  not  yet  become  acquainted  with  the 
countries  still  to  be  examined,  they  were  hardly  in  a  posi- 
tion to  judge  of  their  attractiveness,  or  lack  of  attractive- 
ness, as  compared  with  what  they  had  already  seen.  But 
he  was  determined  to  act  upon  his  own  impulses,  and 
declared  himself  confident  that  a  few  weeks  could  be  ad- 
vantageously taken  from  China,  Siam,  Java,  and  India,  and 
more  profitably  employed  in  adding  to  his  stock  of  in- 
formation regarding  this  delightful  and  romantic  next-door 
neighbor  to  his  own  nation.  He  wanted  to  discover  for  him- 
self how  these  people  had  managed  to  perform  their  tre- 
mendous leap  from  the  Middle  Ages  plump  into  the  heart 
of  the  nineteenth  century,  without  dislocating  their  brains 
or  even  losing  their  balance;  alighting,  in  fact,  as  squarely 
and  safely  on  their  feet  as  if  vaulting  over  half  a  dozen 
centuries,  and  bursting  through  the  interposing  barriers  of 
custom,  tradition,  and  fixed  national  policy,  were  as  easy  as 
the  commonest  trick  of  the  circus.  He  would  remain 
awhile,  and  join  his  companions  at  a  further  point  of  their 
course. 

There  was  nothing  remarkable  in  this.  Nine-tenths  of 
the  visitors  to  Japan  overpass  their  allotted  time;  half  of 
them  prolong  their  stay  for  years,  and  not  a  few  settle 
themselves  virtually  forever,  content  to  accept  this  capti- 
vating island  empire  as  the  pleasantest  haven  that  the 
world  affords.  I  had  known  a  score  of  enthusiastic  New 
Englanders  who  had  thus  yielded  to  the  various  allure- 
ments held  out  to  them.  Arthur  Milton  followed  the  usual 
routine:  proposing  to  master  the  language  in  a  few  weeks; 
projecting  scientific  and  social  investigations  on  the  broad- 
est scale;  evolving  elaborate  strategetic  combinations  for 
the  overthrow  of  insolent  foreign  domination  and  the  im- 
mediate revision  of  the  treaties;  pursuing  all  the  bright 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  83 

fancies  which  are  sure  to  be  awakened  in  ardent  and  amia- 
ble minds,  when  first  brought  in  contact  with  the  evidences 
of  a  national  development  unparalleled  in  history.  He 
was  not  wholly  a  visionary.  He  was  ready  enough  to  laugh, 
with  a  friend,  at  his  own  high-flown  conceptions,  but  not 
less  prompt  to  defend  them  with  unmistakable  sincerity,  if 
attacked  by  any  of  the  narrow  trading  or  "colonial  "  theor- 
ists. He  really  wanted  to  put  his  shoulder  to  the  same 
wheel  which  so  many  have  striven  to  lift  out  of  the  mire, 
and,  like  others  before  him,  was  resolutely  convinced  that 
nothing  but  a  clear,  vigorous  statement  of  Japan's  needs 
and  ill-treatment  was  needed  to  make  the  whole  Western 
world  properly  ashamed  of  itself,  and  to  secure  atonement 
for  the  past  and  justice  for  the  future. 

I  took  kindly  to  the  lad.  Knowing,  by  disagreeable  ex- 
perience, how  little  was  likely  to  result  from  any  enterprise 
that  he  could  set  on  foot,  I  had  no  very  deep  faith  that  his 
energy  would  long  withstand  the  rebuffs  and  disappoint- 
ments which  await  all  those  who  attempt  to  redress  the 
wrongs  endured  by  Eastern  nations.  But  he  was  at  least 
for  the  moment  sincere,  and  there  was  a  glowing  warmth  in 
his  tone  and  manner  which  proved  that  his  feelings  were 
strongly  aroused,  and  that  he  was  determined  to  speak 
and  to  be  heard,  while  the  spirit  was  upon  him,  however 
transitory  his  fervor  might  be.  I  tried  to  set  him  upon  the 
right  track,  helped  him  to  what  information  he  needed, 
encouraged  him  by  listening  patiently  whenever  he  came 
to  lay  before  me  this  or  that  plan  of  diplomatic  or  revolu- 
tionary action,  and  abstained  from  expressing  a  single 
doubt  as  to  his  perseverence  or  lasting  devotion. 

Until  the  afternoon  when  Miss  Philipson  launched  her 
extraordinary  imputation,  the  idea  of  associating  him  or  his 
doings  in  any  particular  way  with  Yone  Santo  had  never 
occurred  to  me.  That  she  had  met  the  young  man  more 
than  once,  I  was  well  aware;  for  I  had  myself  been  the  means 
of  attaching  her  to  several  excursions  in  which  he,  with  his 


84  YONE  SANTO: 

mother  and  sister,  took  part,  and  I  had  once  conducted  him 
to  her  husband's  house,  in  order  that  he  might  deliver  a 
friendly  souvenir  left  for  her  by  those  ladies.  I  remem- 
bered, too,  that  he  had  spoken,  on  a  later  occasion,  of  having 
obtained  from  her  some  information  on  social  subjects,  of 
which  he  had  been  in  need.  But  nothing  of  that  sort  could 
cause  me  the  least  uneasiness.  If  I  had  heard  that  he  vis- 
ited her  every  day  in  the  week,  it  would  have  concerned  me 
only  to  the  extent  of  wondering  whether  her  rough  husband 
might  not  object  to  such  intrusions  upon  his  privacy.  I 
knew  my  protegee  too  well  to  be  disturbed  by  any  disagree- 
ble  reflections  on  her  account. 

Nevertheless,  when  Milton  next  called  upon  me,  I 
thought  it  not  amiss  to  make  a  few  inquiries. 

"When  did  you  last  see  Yone  Santo?"  I  asked,  as  soon 
as  our  ordinary  political  conversation  began  to  flag. 

"Yone  Santo?  Let  me  think,"  he  answered,  hesitat- 
ingly; "when  did  I  see  her  ?  Was  it  yesterday  ?' 

I  could  not  avoid  noticing  the  awkward  and  indirect 
manner  of  his  reply. 

"  That  is  what  I  am  asking  you,"  I  said.  "  You  probably 
know  whether  you  saw  her  yesterday,  or  not.  Certainly,  I 
don't." 

"  Yes,  to  be  sure,"  he  responded,  still  with  a  suggestion  of 
reluctance  in  his  tone.  "  I  think  it  was  yesterday, — yester- 
day morning." 

"Indeed,"  I  remarked;  "she  seldom  goes  out,  except 
of  a  Saturday,  and  the  morning  is  a  busy  time  at  Santo's 
place." 

"  Yes,"  he  rejoined,  with  greater  readiness;  "I  was  there 
on  business.  The  old  man  is  going  to  make  me  a  boat." 

"Oh,  if  you  want  a  boat,"  said  I,  "you  could  not  do  bet- 
ter than  go  to  him.  He  is  a  capital  workman,  though  not 
always  a  model  of  good  manners.  He  made  my  little 
wherry,  over  the  way." 

"Just  so,"  returned  Milton.  "I  heard  of  your  giving 
him  that  job." 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  85 

The  words  were  as  simple  as  possible,  but  in  the  accent 
with  which  they  were  spoken  there  seemed  to  be  a  shade 
of  irony,  or  perhaps  of  derision.  Whatever  it  might  have 
been,  the  sound  was  strange,  and  did  not  altogether  please 
me. 

"You  could  have  had  my  boat,  at  any  time,"  I  suggested. 
"  It  was  hardly  worth  while  to  get  one  built,  unless  you 
mean  to  remain  here  much  longer  than  you  first  intended." 

"The  cost  is  nothing,"  he  said;  "and  besides,  I  wanted 
an  excuse  for  going  there  as  often  as  I  liked." 

"Ah,  then  you  go  there  often." 

"  Every  day,  or  so.  He  amuses  me  immensely,  and  I 
like  to  talk  to  the  girl." 

"Which  girl  ? "  I  asked.  "  None  of  Santo's  servants  can 
do  much  in  the  way  of  conversation,  I  should  imagine." 

"  Oh,  come,  Doctor,"  he  answered,  laughing  good- 
humoredly,  "  you  know  whom  I  mean." 

"  Milton,"  said  I,  "  when  did  you  last  hear  from  your 
traveling  party  ? " 

"  Two  days  ago,"  he  replied,  a  little  surprised  at  the 
sudden  change  of  theme. 

"The  mails  are  regular?" 

"I  suppose  so;  my  people  were  just  leaving  Peking." 

"Your  mother  was  well  ?  " 

"  Quite  well;  never  better,  I  should  judge." 

"  Rough  travel  does  not  disagree  with  your  family,  then  ? " 

"  Oh,  no;  we  are  a  hardy  lot." 

"  To  be  sure;  and  how  was  the  girl  ? " 

He  looked  at  me  inquiringly. 

"The  girl  ?     I  hardly  understand  you." 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  do,"  I  asserted,  with  an  air  which  could 
not  well  fail  to  give  offense.  "  How  was  she  ? " 

A  red  flush  passed  over  his  face. 

"  The  only  girl  in  the  party,  Doctor  Charwell,  is  my 
sister,  Mrs.  Seaford,  a  widow,  as  you  probably  know.  May 
I  inquire  what  you  mean  ?  " 


86  YONE  SANTO: 

"  My  young  friend,"  said  I,  getting  up  from  my  seat,  and 
walking  about  the  room,  "  you  are  annoyed  at  my  expres- 
sion. You  are  quite  justified.  I  beg  your  pardon  most 
earnestly.  I  perceive  that  a  careless  word  like  that  might 
make  no  end  of  mischief.  There,  I  entreat  you  over  and 
again  to  excuse  me.  It  is  the  luckiest  thing  in  the  world 
that  there  were  no  listeners." 

''Why,  of  course,  Doctor,  it's  all  right.  You  need  not 
make  so  much  of  it.  Say  no  more." 

"That  depends,"  said  I. 

"What  depends,  he  asked,  "and  how  ?  " 

"  It  depends  upon  whether  you  have  or  have  not  any- 
thing to  say,  in  your  turn." 

"  Upon  my  word,  Doctor,  I  haven't  an  idea  of  what  you 
mean." 

"  You  shall  have,  Milton.  Your  sister,  Mrs.  Seaford,  has 
the  claim  of  every  gentlewoman  to  be  always  spoken  of 
with  courtesy.  The  same  right  belongs  to  Yone  Santo,  my 
friend." 

He  stared  a  moment,  and  then  broke  out,  excitedly, — 

"  What,  sir  !     Do  you  mean  to  institute  a  comparison  "- 

I  interrupted  him  sharply. 

"  Restrain  yourself.  I  expect  you,  as  a  simple  act  of 
justice, — or,  if  you  like  better,  I  will  ask  )^ou  as  a  favor  to 
me, — to  reflect  upon  this  matter  before  saying  what  is  in 
your  mind.  A  moment's  delay  will  do  you  no  harm.  I 
will  be  with  you  again  immediately." 

I  left  him  in  my  office,  while  I  went  to  another  part  of 
the  house.  When  I  returned,  five  minutes  later,  he  was 
gone,  greatly  to  my  disappointment.  But  in  less  than  half 
an  hour  he  reappeared,  looking  a  little  abashed  and  con- 
fused, but  smiling  with  the  grace  and  frankness  which  were 
his  especial  charms. 

"Doctor  Charwell,  listen  to  me,"  he  began,  as  he  crossed 
the  threshold.  "  I  have  a  speech  to  make,  and  I  must  not 
be  interrupted.  In  the  first  place  you  were  all  right,  and  I 


A   CHILD  OF  J A  PAX.  87 

was  all  wrong, — that  goes  without  saying.  But  that  is  not 
enough.  The  truth  is,  there  is  no  snare  so  cunning  as 
common  custom.  You  fall  into  it  without  stopping  to 
think.  Now,  everybody  out  here  speaks  of  these  people  as 
'Japs,' — and  so  have  I,  like  the  other  idiots.  I  wonder 
how  I  should  relish  hearing  myself  called  a  *  Yank  '  !  In 
the  same  way,  I  suppose,  every  Japanese  woman,  high  or 
low,  is  a  'girl.'  But  this  is  no  excuse  for  me.  Here  have  I 
been  putting  myself  forward  for  the  past  month  as  a  de- 
fender and  champion  of  this  country  and  its  inhabitants; 
and  yet  I  can't  keep  my  tongue  from  insulting  them.  So 
much  for  general  principles.  Now  for  particulars.  In 
this  matter  of  your  friend,  I  acknowledge  that  I  was 
doubly  to  blame.  I  was  going  to  say,  when  you  stopped 
me,  that  I  couldn't  stand  any  comparison  being  made 
between  my  sister  and  a  Japanese.  Now,  however,  I 
see  that  if  we  are  bound  to  be  more  stringent  in  one 
case  than  in  the  other,  it  should  be  when  Japanese 
ladies  are  alluded  to.  For  they,  unless  a  good  fellow  like 
you  happens  to  be  at  hand,  have  nobody  to  stand  up  for 
them.  It's  cowardly,  as  well  as  mean,  to  slight  them  by 
carelessness  of  speech.  If  anybody  puts  an  affront  upon 
one  of  our  women, — well,  my  sister,  for  example, — it  isn't 
necessary  that  I  should  be  there;  a  dozen  hands  will  be 
ready  to  set  the  matter  right.  You  may  bet  as  heavily  as 
you  like,  Doctor,  that  you  will  never  hear  me  talk  about  a 
Japanese  'girl '  again;  that  is,  in  any  sense  that  could  pos- 
sibly be  unpleasant." 

I  let  him  run  his  course,  because,  as  I  have  said,  I  liked 
the  young  fellow,  and  was  glad  to  hear  how  he  had  rea- 
soned the  matter  to  a  fair  conclusion.  But  it  was  evident 
that  he  supposed  my  reproof  to  have  been  tendered  on  what 
he  called  "  general  principles,"  and  did  not  understand  the 
nature  and  extent  of  my  interest  in  Yone;  with  which,  indeed, 
nothing  had  yet  occurred  to  acquaint  him.  I  deemed  it 
better,  while  the  subject  was  fresh  in  our  thoughts,  to  let 


88  VONE  SANTO: 

him  know  that  I  looked  upon  myself  in  a  measure  as  her 
guardian;  and  that  I  had  deeper  reason  for  sensitiveness 
with  respect  to  her  than  with  the  majority  of  Japanese 
young  women. 

"And  so  you  find  it  agreeable  to  visit  the  Santos'  place  ?  " 
said  I,  tentatively. 

"  Indeed  I  do,"  he  promptly  answered.  "  That  clever 
little  lady  can  tell  me  more  in  ten  minutes,  about  the  topics 
which  I  am  looking  into,  than  I  can  draw  from  a  professed 
expert  in  a  day.  And  I  suppose  there  is  no  harm  in  say- 
ing it  is  a  deal  pleasanter  to  get  information  from  such  a 
charming  source  than  from  a  set  of  old  humbugs  who  have 
no  sympathy  with  my  investigations,  and  who,  I  believe, 
have  to  hunt  up  one  day  what  they  communicate  to  me  the 
next." 

"  And  what  has  Santo  to  say  to  your  making  yourself  at 
home  there  ?  He  has  not  the  reputation  of  being  amiable 
to  strangers." 

"  He  doesn't  seem  to  object;  and  the  boat  furnishes 
a  sufficient  excuse  for  frequent  calls,  as  you  know  very  well 
yourself." 

"  Milton,"  I  said,  "let  us  have  a  clearer  understanding  of 
this  business.  I  may  make  a  mistake,  but  I  think  you  have 
twice  put  on  a  satirical  tone  in  referring  to  my  motive  in 
getting  a  boat  from  Santo.  Now  I  tell  you  frankly  that  I 
had  a  motive  which  did  not  appear  on  the  surface" — 

"  Precisely,"  interrupted  he,  pertly. 

"  My  dear  fellow,"  said  I,  "  this  is  no  contest  of  wit.  I 
have  no  spirit  for  anything  of  that  kind.  I  throw  myself 
on  your  good  feeling,  in  which  I  have  great  faith,  and  beg 
you  to  believe  that  I  am  serious,  deeply  serious,  in  all  I 
have  to  say  upon  this  matter.  Now,  being  forewarned,  you 
will  not  wound  me,  I  am  sure.  I  did  order  the  boat,  for  a 
special  purpose.  It  was  long  ago,  before  Yone's  wedding, 
you  will  kindly  understand.  I  knew  the  marriage  was  in- 
evitable, and  I  desired  to  gather  some  direct  knowledge  of 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  89 

the  man  upon  whose  character  and  habits  her  future  com- 
fort must  largely  depend.  And  now  I  shall  tell  you  why." 

I  then  related,  as  succinctly  as  I  could,  the  course  of 
Yone's  joyless  life,  bringing  the  history  no  nearer,  however, 
than  the  date  when  the  marriage  was  forced  upon  her,  and 
suppressing  all  mention  of  my  futile  attempt  to  arrange  the 
difficulty  by  adopting  the  child. 

I  had  no  reason  to  complain  of  an  inattentive  listener. 
He  was,  indeed,  more  moved  than  I  had  expected,  but 
there  was  something  superficial  in  his  declarations  of  sym- 
pathy, and  many  of  his  observations  caused  me  to  think  he 
regarded  the  whole  business  as  a  drama  of  undoubted 
pathos,  yet  one  in  which  he  was  not  wholly  disinclined  to 
enact  some  part.  For  the  moment,  however,  I  had  no 
choice  but  to  trust  to  his  higher  instincts;  and  I  closed  the 
subject  by  saying  that  while  I  could  not  suppose  he  would 
share  my  feelings,  I  did  rely  upon  him  to  abstain  from  doing 
anything  that  might  add  to  the  young  girl's  troubles.  This 
seemed  to  surprise  him,  but  with  no  other  response  than 
a  warm  though  vague  assurance  of  discreet  behavior,  he 
hastily  took  leave. 


XIII. 

THE    COIL    OF    THE    SERPENT. 

THROUGH  the  remainder  of  the  day,  a  restless  spirit 
possessed  me,  and  in  the  evening  I  sought  the  never- 
failing  recreation  of  a  sail  upon  the  Sumida.  I  started 
with  no  definite  object,  but  the  wind  carried  me  up 
the  stream,  past  the  islands,  and  beyond  the  thick  mazes  of 
streets  and  canals  which  stretch  for  miles  along  the  river- 
banks.  Presently  I  found  myself  opposite  the  boat- 
builder's  domicile,  in  which  a  light  was  still  shining, 
although  the  hour  was  late,  as  hours  are  counted  among 
the  Japanese.  Dropping  my  sail,  I  drifted  shoreward,  not 


90  YONE  SANTO: 

precisely  conscious  of  anxiety,  but  desirous  rather  to  assure 
myself  that  no  ground  for  anxiety  existed.  The  night  was 
still  and  sultry;  yet,  as  I  drew  near  Santo's  little  pier,  the 
voice  of  Milton,  talking  carelessly  and  cheerfully,  sent 
a  sharp  chill  through  me.  As  I  passed  the  extremity  of  the 
tiny  garden,  making  no  sign  of  recognition,  I  was  evidently 
mistaken  fora  visitor  to  Nakamura-ya,  the  adjoining  popular 
"  tea-house,"  and  no  attention  was  paid  to  my  movements. 
Should  I  openly  proclaim  my  presence  ?  The  conventional 
theories  as  to  the  ignominy  of  eavesdropping  rushed  through 
my  mind,  and  vanished  straightway,  leaving  no  appreciable 
impression.  What?  fetter  myself  with  chivalrous  fancies 
and  affectations,  when  the  promise  given  me  a  few  hours 
earlier  had  been  thus  shamelessly  broken  ?  Not  quite  so 
childish.  Since  accident  had  brought  me  to  the  situation, 
I  felt  no  more  compunction  in  discovering  what  mischief 
might  be  afoot  than  any  man  would  feel  in  using  all  means 
of  rescuing  an  unwitting  prey  from  a  venomous  snake. 

It  was  not  long,  nevertheless,  before  the  step  which  I 
thus  hastily  decided  upon  taking  proved  to  be  a  most  un- 
wise one,  at  least  in  so  far  as  its  effect  upon  myself  was 
concerned.  It  brought  me  a  half  hour  of  torment  such  as 
I  never  thought  I  could  be  called  to  undergo.  But  I  gave 
no  heed,  in  my  impulsive  determination,  to  any  conse- 
quences except  those  upon  which  Yone's  safety  seemed 
to  depend.  A  fence,  projecting  into  the  river,  separated 
Santo's  premises  from  the  tea-house  grounds,  and  1  drew 
my  boat  close  to  its  farther  side,  within  the  broad  shadow 
which  it  cast  upon  the  surface  of  the  water.  This  was  the 
only  spot  not  brilliantly  lighted  by  the  moon,  and  the  con- 
cealment was  doubly  desirable,  for  the  reason  that  the 
favorite  place  of  resort  was  filled  with  guests,  whose  loud 
speech  revealed  that  some  of  them  were  foreigners.  I  had 
certainly  no  wish  to  be  observed,  even  by  strangers,  under 
the  peculiar  circumstances,  and  I  held  myself  close  to  the 
convenient  barrier,  invisible  to  all,  but  able  to  discern 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  91 

everything  around  me.  Through  the  apertures  of  the 
roughly  laid  boards  I  saw  Yone  and  her  untimely  visitor, 
sitting  upon  a  bench  near  the  shore.  At  a  little  distance, 
a  dim  figure  was  perceptible,  partly  outstretched  upon  the 
ground,  and  partly  propped  against  a  tree.  This,  I  assumed, 
was  Santo;  and  although  his  silence  indicated  that  he  was 
probably  asleep,  his  mere  presence  afforded  me  an  un- 
speakable satisfaction. 

The  conversation,  which  had  been  interrupted  by  my 
approach,  was  soon  resumed. 

"  How  lovely  the  night  is  !  "  said  Milton.  "  Sometimes 
I  think  there  are  no  moonlights  like  these  in  your 
country." 

"  Many  persons  say  so,  and  I  am  glad  to  believe  it,"  was 
the  answer,  in  Yone's  tranquil  and  tender  accents. 

"It  is  like  fairyland,"  he  said.  "'/#  such  a  night  as 
this '  "— 

He  left  the  quotation  unfinished,  and  after  a  little  hesita- 
tion, Yone  added,  timidly,  "'  When  the  sweet  wind'  " — 

"Why,"  interrupted  Milton,  in  surprise,  "do  you  know 
those  lines?" 

"  I  know  them  well,"  she  replied;  "once  I  tried  to  trans- 
late them..  They  are  like  music,  and  if  I  close  my  eyes  I 
can  see  wonderful  things,  when  I  repeat  them.  It  is  strange 
that  such  language  should  come  from  deceitful  mouths." 

"  Deceitful !     What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"Their  words  were  beautiful,  but  faithfulness  was  not  in 
their  hearts." 

"  Poor  Jessica  !  I  won't  attempt  to  defend  Lorenzo,  but 
pretty  Jessica, — she  couldn't  help  herself,  you  know." 

"  She  deserted  her  father." 

"  Oh,  that  is  your  way  of  looking  at  it.  So  you  don't  like 
Jessica's  behavior  ? " 

"  Her  father  trusted  her,  and  she  betrayed  him.  It  is 
not  possible"  to  like  a  woman  who  would  do  that.  But 
what  she  said  was  like  a  charm." 


92  YONE  SANTO: 

"Would  you  not  be  glad  to  see  the  places  they  spoke  of  ? " 

"Have  you  seen  them?" 

"I  have  been  near  them,  at  any  rate.  Have  you  never 
thought  of  going  to  find  them  ?" 

"  I  did,  once;  it  was  only  for  a  few  days." 

"Why  should  you  not  think  of  it  again?  I  wish  we 
could  explore  those  enchanted  regions,  and  search  together 
for  Shakespeare's  foot-prints." 

"  Search  for — You  are  going  beyond  what  I  have  learned. 
I  do  not  know  that  name." 

"  Shakespeare  ?  He  is  the  author  of  the  play  from  which 
we  quoted." 

"  I  remember  now.  I  have  not  read  many  foreign  books, 
and  I  thought  only  of  the  story,  and  the  persons  in  it.  I 
will  not  forget  again." 

"  I  promise  that  you  shall  not,  if  you  will  go  with  me." 

"  You  are  very  merry,  Mr.  Milton.  I  must  be  contented 
with  my  own  little  country." 

There  was  not  much  in  this  to  make  me  uneasy,  but  I 
already  began  to  regret  that  I  had  not  broken  in  upon  them 
at  the  moment  of  my  arrival,  and  put  an  end  to  the  dialogue. 
Still,  for  Yone's  sake,  I  would  stay  and  learn  a  little  more. 

"Do  not  speak  so  sadly;  we  all  have  our  troubles,"  said 
Milton,  in  a  tone  which  conveyed  but  a  slight  conception 
of  what  trouble  meant, — "  all  of  us,  and  young  old." 

"You  do  not  understand  me,"  she  answered.  "  I  am  not 
sad.  My  troubles  are  gone.  I  have  one  best  friend  who 
has  taken  them  away.  I  have  no  wish  to  think  of  them, 
now." 

"  Who  is  that  friend,  Yone  ? " 

"You  know  him.     The  good  Doctor  Charwell." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  know  him.  He  is  an  excellent  fellow,  but  I 
did  not  think  he  was  so  powerful.  What,  can  he  remove 
everybody's  troubles,  then?" 

"He  has  cured  mine." 

"  What,  all  ? " 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  93 

"  If  I  had  any,  I  would  go  to  him,  and  then  I  should 
suffer  no  more." 

"You  have  great  confidence  in  him  !  "  exclaimed  Milton, 
somewhat  pettishly.  "  And  so,  if  you  should  ever  be  weary 
of  this  hard  life  and  dull  home  of  yours,  I  suppose  you 
would  look  to  him  for  relief." 

It  needed  strong  resolution  to  keep  me  quiet  at  this 
point,  for  I  was  persuaded  that  the  young  man  had  a  more 
vicious  purpose  than  was  disclosed  in  his  words.  But  I 
kept  myself  under  control,  confident  that  Yone's  unsuspect- 
ing simplicity  would  be  the  most  effective  foil  to  his 
advances. 

"  My  life  is  not  hard,  Mr.  Milton,  and  my  home  is  not 
dull.  Doctor  Charwell  knows  that;  and  truly,  it  is  his 
good  friendship  that  helps  me  to  enjoy  so  much.  Oh,  no; 
my  life  is  very  easy  now,  and  my  husband  is  very  kind. 
When  my  neighbors  are  ill  he  lets  me  go  to  them  freely, 
and  I  think  by  and  by  he  will  permit  me  to  have  a  little 
school,  all  for  myself." 

"  Wonderful  privileges,  Yone  !  " 

"That  is  true,  although  you  do  not  seem  to  speak  in 
earnest.  Not  many  wives  in  my  country  are  allowed  so 
much.  It  is  different,  I  know,  in  yours." 

"Yes,  you  may  well  say  that..  In  Boston,  now,  we  would 
find  better  work  for  these  pretty  hands  than  nursing  the 
pauper  neighborhood,  and  teaching  the  young  rabble  here- 
about." 

"  Better  work  ?  I  do  not  think  Doctor  Charwell  would 
say  so." 

"  Doctor  Charwell,  indeed  !  My  dear  Yone,  I  don't  be- 
lieve he  knows  whether  these  little  hands  are  coarse  or  del- 
icate, rough  or  smooth;  still  less  what  they  are  fit  for." 

A  ripple  of  mirth  showed  how  lightly  she  valued  the  im- 
plied flattery. 

"  Do  you  think  rough  hands  are  a  misfortune  ? "  she 
asked. 

"A  great  misfortune  for  a  girl  like  you."    . 


94  YONE  SANTO: 

"Well,  then,  there  is  one  trouble  which  the  doctor  did  re- 
move. They  were  rough  indeed,  a  year  ago.  But  I  did 
not  call  that  a  trouble.  That  is  nothing.  I  think  of  the 
sore  places  in  my  heart  that  he  has  known  how  to  heal. 
Nobody  else  could  do  that." 

He  made  no  immediate  answer,  but  a  moment  later  I 
heard  him  say,  in  a  much  lower  tone, — 

"Yes,  they  are  smooth,  now,  and  soft  as  down, — this 
one,  at  least.  Is  the  other  like  it?  Let  me  see." 

My  patience  was  exhausted.  Reaching  for  an  oar,  I  pre- 
pared to  push  the  boat  around  the  intervening  wood-work, 
and  put  an  end  to  the  knavish  work;  but  before  I  could 
move  from  my  position,  a  throng  of  merry-makers  issued 
from  the  tea-house,  and  ran  noisily  down  a  pathway  toward 
the  river-side.  To  my  consternation,  I  saw  that  it  was 
composed  of  residents  in  the  foreign  district  of  Tokio,  to 
all  of  whom  both  Yone  and  I  were  well  known,  while  most 
of  them  had  heard  of  Milton,  if  they  had  not  met  him.  I 
could  not  venture  upon  a  movement  which  would  expose 
me  to  their  view,  and  inevitably  direct  their  attention  to  the 
occupants  of  the  neighboring  garden.  If  they  should  get  a 
glimpse  of  the  scene,  their  tongues  would  be  wagging,  the 
next  day,  all  over  the  settlement.  Though  in  a  fever  of  in- 
dignation, I  was  compelled  to  govern  myself,  and  to  con- 
tinue silent  while  the  colloqu^proceeded. 

"Surely  my  hands  are  both  alike,"  said  Yone;  "but  it  is 
not  comfortable  for  me  when  you  hold  them." 

"  Only  one,  then,  Yone." 

"  No,  Mr.  Milton,  there  is  no  meaning  in  it." 

"  You  are  very  severe  with  me,  but  I  suppose  that  is  the 
privilege  of  beauty  here,  as  in  other  lands." 

"  You  do  forget  that  it  is  not  pleasant  for  me  to  hear  you 
speak  in  that  way.  I  have  asked  you  not  to  do  it,  many 
times  before." 

"  I  forget  nothing  that  you  say  to  me,  but  it  is  hard  if  I 
may  not  tell  you  what  I  think.  You  know  it  is  the  truth." 


A   CHILD  OF  JAP  A  2V.  95 

"  That  I  do  not  know.  Indeed,  we  do  not  give  so  many 
thoughts  as  foreigners  to  what  our  appearance  is  like.  It 
does  not  seem  to  me  that  this  can  be  the  truth.  I  am  sorry 
to  be  rude,  but  I  am  sure  it  is  not  true.  You  are  making  a 
jest  of  me,  Mr.  Milton." 

"  Every  word  I  utter  is  earnest  and  sincere.  I  never 
thought  you  would  doubt  that." 

"  Then  I  shall  beg  you,  as  a  favor,  not  to  repeat  these 
things." 

"  I  will  only  insist,  then,  that  you  are  severe.  I  wonder 
if  you  are  as  severe  with  everybody.  I  dare  say  Doctor 
Charwell  might  tell  you  you  are  a  beauty,  without  offense." 

"  Doctor  Charwell  may  say  anything." 

"  And  why  not  I,  Yone  ?  " 

She  made  no  reply.  I  was  exasperated  at  the  inaction 
which  the  delay  of  the  pleasure-party  imposed  upon  me, 
and  waited  only  for  their  departure  to  leap  on  shore  and 
drag  the  young  scamp  away.  But  now  I  could  not  even 
stir,  much  less  call  out,  they  were  so  near. 

"Tell  me,  my  little  girl,  why  not?"  repeated  Milton, 
more  urgently. 

"  I  cannot  tell  you,"  she  returned,  in  a  somewhat  changed 
voice.  "  Indeed,  I  do  not  know.  I  am  very  ignorant  of 
many  things." 

"  Among  others,  I  may  mention  my  first  name.  You  evi- 
dently do  not  know  that." 

"Oh,  yes,  I  know  it." 

"  Then  why  do  you  not  use  it  ?  I  call  you  '  Yone;'  you 
should  call  me  'Arthur.'" 

"You  know  that  is  impossible." 

"  Why,  you  will  do  nothing  to  please  me.  I  would  do 
anything  for  you." 

"Ah,  you  are  a  learned  gentleman;  you  know  what  is 
right,  and  will  not  make  mistakes.  There  is  nothing 
strange  if  you  call  me  'Yone.'  Women,  with  us,  are  never 
known  by  their  family  names.  Those  belong  to  Japanese 


gf>  YOKE  SANTO: 

men  only.  But  among  foreigners — No,  no,  Mr.  Milton;  I 
have  studied  a  little.  Your  young  ladies  do  not  speak  so 
familiarly  to  gentlemen,  unless  they  are  relations,  or  at  least 
very  intimate  friends." 

"  Very  well,  let  us  be  intimate  friends 

"  Now  you  are  jesting  again." 

"  Listen,  Yone;  do  you  call  Doctor  Charwell  by  his  first 
name?" 

"I  do  not." 

"  Not  even  when  you  are  alone  with  him  ? " 

"Why,  no,  indeed;  how  can  any  difference  be  ?" 

"  Ah,  you  think  there  cannot  'any  difference  be.'  But  if 
he  should  ask  you  ?" 

"Ah,  then — if  he  told  me,  I  should  do  it." 

"You  are  submissive  enough  to  him,  I  see." 

"I  should  know  it  would  be  right." 

"  And  your — your  husband  ? " 

"Well?" 

"  You  call  him  by  his  first — that  is,  his  second  name  ?  "* 

"Oh,  no!  " 

"  What,  not  your  husband  ?  " 

"  No,  never  !  " 

"  How  singular  !  But — you  will  excuse  all  my  ques- 
tions, Yone;  you  know  I  am  trying  to  learn  a  great  deal 
about  the  Japanese  customs  in  a  short  time.  Let  me  ask 
you  if  all  the  wives  are  so  reserved  in  speaking  to  their 
husbands." 

"That  is  better.  I  mean  it  is  much  easier  to  answer 
about  all  in  general — everybody  in  Japan — than  when  you 
question  me  about  myself.  Well,  it  is  different  in  different 
houses.  When  the  persons  are  both  young,  I  suppose  they 
use  what  with  your  countrymen  is  the  first  name;  or,  in 
any  case,  after  they  have  long  been  married,  they  probably 
use  it.  I  do  not  know  very  well  about  these  things,  myself. 

*In  Japan,  as  most  readers  are  probably  aware,  the  name  of  the  family 
precedes  the  distinguishing  name  of  each  member  thereof. 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  97 

I  have  lived  much  alone.  Others  could  explain  it  more  ex- 
actly." 

"  But  you  know  enough  to  decide  how  to  address  your 
husband." 

"  That  is  very  simple.  A  young  wife  must  not  be  too 
— must  not  *  take  liberties/  I  think  you  say,  with  a  husband 
much  older  than  herself.  I  show  the  respect  which  I  owe 
by  speaking  only  his  family  name.  That  is  more  suitable 
to  him,  and  more" — 

"  More  agreeable  to  you,  no  doubt,"  said  Milton,  as  she 
suddenly  paused. 

"  It  is  proper  that  it  should  be  so,"  she  answered;  "and 
now,  shall  we  not  talk  of  something  else  ? " 

"One  moment,  Yone;  only  a  moment  more.  This  is 
curious.  It  seems  there  is  a  choice  in  your  mind  between 
your  husband  and  the  worthy  doctor.  You  would  willingly 
call  Charwell  by  the  friendlier  name,  but  it  is  not  agreeable 
to  do  the  same  with  your  husband." 

"  You  confuse  me,  Mr.  Milton.  It  is  easy  for  you  to  do 
that.  I  have  told  you  that  I  am  not  clever.  I  cannot  an- 
swer any  of  your  questions  now,  but  you  have  given  me 
many  things  to  ask  Doctor  Charwell  about." 

"  Doctor  Charwell  forever  !  I  declare,  Yone,  I  believe 
you  are  in  love  with  the  man." 

"That,  indeed,  I  am,"  she  answered,  composedly.  "I 
always  have  been,  since  I  was  a  little  girl.  But  you  are 
laughing  at  me.  Why  do  you  laugh  ?  Do  you  make  sport 
of  me  with  strange  phrases  ?  Oh,  that  is  very  unfair,"  and 
she  lightly  laughed,  herself.  "  I  never  heard  that  phrase 
before.  But  I  will  always  tell  you  I  love  Doctor  Charwell. 
I  cannot  love  him  too  much." 

"  Indeed  !     And  what  does  your  husband  say  to  that  ?  " 

"Why,  nothing;  what  should  he  say  ?" 

"  He  is  aware  of  it  ? " 

"  Of  course  he  is.  Everybody  who  knows  Yamada 
Yone,"  she  added,  with  an  unusual  ring  in  her  clear  tones, 


98  YONE  SANTO: 

"  surely  knows  that.  Her  life  would  be  all  dreariness  and 
gloom  but  for  the  goodness  of  that  one  friend,  and  her 
heart  must  be  false  and  base  before  she  forgets  the  love 
that  belongs  to  him.  Are  you  trying,  Mr.  Milton,  to  speak 
in  a  way  which  I  do  not  understand  ? " 

The  revelers  had  by  this  time  entered  their  boats,  but 
they  were  in  no  haste  to  depart,  and  while  they  lingered  I 
was  chained  to  my  dark  corner,  though  the  detention  tor- 
tured me.  Santo's  heavy  breathing  reminded  me  of  his 
presence,  which  was  in  some  sense  a  relief,  and  assisted  me 
to  hold  myself  in  check. 

Milton's  next  words  were  in  a  more  subdued  and  humble 
strain: — 

"Forgive  me,  Yone;  I  would  not  vex  you  for  the  world. 
It  is  right  that  you  should  cling  to  your  old  friend,  and  I 
honor  your  fidelity.  But  I  can't  help  feeling  envious, — 
just  a  little;  that  is  natural,  you  know.  Do  not  think  ill  of 
me.  Give  me  your  hand  before  I  go." 

"  You  have  had  my  hand,  already." 

"  If  you  deny  me,  I  shall  know  you  are  displeased.  Why, 
what  is  it,  to  clasp  hands  ?  With  us  it  means  only  a  greet- 
ing or  a  farewell,  but  to  refuse  is  a  mark  of  real  dislike." 

"  You  shall  not  suppose  that, — no,  indeed.  And  I  do 
not  believe  you  would  mislead  me.  It  would  be  very  easy, 
but  not — but  not  very  brave.  You  shall  take  my  hand,  and  I 
will  trust  you,  for  I  have  heard  that  you  are  good  to  all  the 
people  of  my  country." 

"  Thank  you,  Yone;  I  "-  His  voice  faltered,  and  I 
hoped  his  treacherous  soul  was  shaken  by  this  evidence  of 
her  frank  and  confiding  innocence. 

"Your  hand  trembles,"  she  said;  "  are  you  not  well  ?  " 

"Yes,  yes,  I  am  quite  well.  Don't  move;  keep  as  you 
are, — one  second,  only." 

Once  more  there  was  a  pause;  and  when  Yone  spoke 
again,  it  was  with  a  sternness  so  strangely  at  variance  with 
her  usual  placidity  as  to  make  it  manifest  that  she  had 
cause  for  deep  resentment. 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  99 

"  You  have  done  a  foolish  thing,  Mr.  Milton, — foolish  and 
wrong.  It  is  to  your  shame.  You  would  never  have  done 
it  if  we  were  not  alone  and  in  the  dark.  Yet  I  am  glad 
there  is  no  one  to  see.  I  do  not  wish  it  known  that  any  man 
could  treat  me  with  scorn.  Now  I  shall  arouse  my  hus- 
band, and  you  will  go." 

I  felt  as  if  the  blood  would  burst  from  my  veins,  and 
nothing  but  the  overwhelming  certainty  of  the  malignant 
scandal  that  would  follow  an  exposure  could  have  stayed 
my  hand  an  instant.  Why  had  I  yielded  to  the  mad  im- 
pulse that  tempted  me  to  wait  and  prove  the  villainy  with 
which  my  poor  child  was  to  be  assailed  ?  But  the  loiterers 
were  starting  at  last;  a  minute  more,  and  I  should  be  free. 

"Yone,  you  hurt  me  terribly,"  said  Milton,  with  intense 
vehemence,  though  speaking  scarcely  above  a  whisper.  "  I 
will  go,  if  I  must,  but  I  pray  you  to  hear  one  last  word. 
There  was  no  scorn  in  what  I  did.  It  is  an  act  of  rev- 
erence; I  swear  it  is.  A  man  of  honor  may  put  his  lips  to 
an  empress's  hand.  It  is  the  token  of  his  loyalty  and  de- 
votion. I  am  telling  you  what  every  American  and  Euro- 
pean knows  to  be  the  truth.  Ask  whom  you  like.  Ask 
Doctor  Charwell." 

"  It  is  not  needful.  No  one  shall  teach  me  falsehoods, 
Mr.  Milton.  There  was  no  reverence  in  what  you  did.  I 
know  that  I  am  not  an  empress.  I  do  not  know  that  you 
are  a  man  of  honor." 

"  If  you  could  see  all  that  is  in  my  heart,  you  would  not 
hate  me,  Yone." 

"  I  do  not  hate  you.     You  have  no  right  to  say  it." 

"Then  listen  to  me;  you  shall  listen;  I  will  not  go 
until  I  have  told  you  the  whole.  Don't  be  afraid;  I  would 
not  harm  you  to  save  my  life  a  thousand  times  over.  But 
I  must  be  heard." 

"  I  am  not  at  all  afraid;  that  is  not  my  feeling.  But  now 
I  am  very  sure  that  you  are  ill." 

"  By  Heaven,  I  am  ill,  and  no  living  being  but  you  can 


ioo  YONE  SANTO: 

help  me  !     Don't  you  see,  Yone  ?     Can't  you  pity  me  ?  " 

"  I  can  pity,  but  it  is  folly  to  say  that  I  can  help  you.  I 
wish  Doctor  Charwell  were  here." 

The  tea-house  boats  shot  from  the  shore  in  a  body,  their 
occupants  shouting  and  singing  gayly,  as  they  swept  down 
the  stream.  My  time  had  come. 

"  He  is  here  !  "  I  cried,  swinging  myself  around  the  par- 
tition, and  bursting  through  the  network  of  willows  which 
fringed  the  low  bank. 


XIV. 


SHORT    AND    SHARP. 

YONE  sprang  up  from  the  bench  on  which  she  had  been 
sitting,  and  came  hastily  to  the  water's  edge.  Milton  also 
rose,  and  advanced  less  rapidly.  Santo,  startled  from  his 
drowsy  torpor,  lifted  himself  with  a  series  of  jerks,  and 
stood  by  the  tree  which  had  supported  him. 

"I  was  wishing  for  you,"  said  Yone.  "Mr.  Milton  is 
not — not  himself,  I  think  you  say." 

"I  have  come  for  him,"  I  answered;  "he  is  not  fit  to  be 
here.  Your  hand,  Milton." 

He  gave  it  mechanically,  half  unconscious  of  what  he 
was  doing;  and  before  another  word  was  spoken,  he  had 
taken  an  involuntary  header  into  my  boat,  where  he  lay 
crouched  and  tangled  among  the  thwarts,  in  most  unheroic 
guise. 

"Oh,  be  careful,"  said  Yone;  "I  am  sure  that  is  dan- 
gerous." 

"No  danger  now,"  I  replied;  "he  is  in  my  charge." 

"  But  I  fear  he  is  ill,"  she  persisted.  "  I  pray  you  to  take 
heed." 

"I  shall  do  what  is  necessary,"  I  said,  curtly;  "  have  no 
concern."  Then,  changing  my  speech  to  French,  in  order 
to  be  understood  by  my  captive  alone,  and  struggling  mas- 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  10 1 

terfully  to  deliver  myself  with  apparent  lightness  and  ease, 
I  added,  "  You  will  go  with  me  without  opening  your 
mouth  to  these  people,  or  I  will  drag  you  back  to  the  shore, 
send  Yone  away,  and  not  only  repeat  every  word  you  have 
spoken,  but  also  explain  your  damnable  meaning,  from  be- 
ginning to  end,  to  old  Santo.  Choose,  quickly." 

"I'll  go,"  he  muttered;  "but  let  loose  my  wrist,  unless 
you  mean  to  break  it  with  your  infernal  surgical  sleight  of 
hand." 

In  fact,  I  had  a  grip  of  iron,  in  those  days,  and  an  ath- 
letic skill  which  I  seldom  knowingly  used.  Releasing 
Milton,  I  remarked  to  Santo,  who  still  stood  on  the  bank, 
dreamily  wondering,  that  my  countryman  had  broken  an 
engagement  with  me,  and  compelled  me  to  look  sharply 
after  him.  I  asked  him  to  toss  me  Milton's  hat,  made 
rapid  excuses  for  our  abrupt  departure,  and  with  the  least 
possible  delay  began  pulling  vigorously  down  the  stream, 
wholly  regardless  of  the  conclusions  that  might  be  drawn 
from  my  behavior. 

Under  the  shadow  of  the  O-hashi  (Great  Bridge),  I 
rested  on  my  oars.  Milton  had  picked  himself  together, 
and  sat  motionless  in  the  stern. 

"  Now,  sir,"  I  began,  "  I  will  hear  whatever  you  have  to 
say." 

"I  have  nothing  to  say,  that  I  know  of,"  he  answered, 
sullenly. 

"That  will  not  do,"  said  I;  "several  things. must  be  said 
and  settled  between  us,  this  night." 

"I'll  say,  then,  for  one  thing,"  he  responded,  "that 
you  are  not  to  imagine  you  frighten  me  by  any  of  this  fan- 
tastic performance.  I  was  taken  by  surprise  when  you 
appeared,  and  I  submitted  in  order  to  spare  Yone." 

"  To  spare  her  !  "  I  retorted.  "  Ay,  that  was  obvious. 
You  had  been  sparing  her,  all  along." 

"  Oh,  I  see;  a  listener  !  "  he  scoffed. 

"Yes,  sir,"  said  I,  "  a  listener," — just  that;  and  never 
likely  to  be  better  contented  with  myself  than  when  listen- 


102  YONE  SANTO: 

ing  under  such  conditions  and  with  such  a  purpose  in  view. 
So  none  of  that  cheap  sarcasm,  if  you  please." 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  may  have  heard,  but  " — 

"  It  does  not  matter,"  I  interposed.  "  I  had  a  surfeit 
long  before  I  could  get  at  you." 

"  You  saw  that  Santo  was  there,"  he  observed,  after  a 
short  silence. 

"Yes;  and  I  saw  the  intelligent  part  he  took  in  the  pro- 
ceedings. I  have  no  high  opinion  of  Japanese  husbands 
generally,  and  no  especial  admiration  for  Santo  as  a  partic- 
ular specimen;  but  I  can  tell  you  he  would  have  pounded 
your  skull  to  splinters  with  the  rudder  of  your  own  decoy 
yacht,  if  he  had  suspected  your  infamous  devices, — if  you 
had  not  barred  his  comprehension  by  your  despicable  use 
of  a  language  he  does  not  understand.  Nor  my  poor  hunted 
child,  neither,"  I  added,  presently.  "Her  honest  studies, 
thank  God,  have  taught  her  none  of  the  meaning  of  such 
foulness  as  you  have  tried  to  poison  her  with  to-night. 
Poor  girl,  poor  girl !  To  think  that  her  first  revelation  of 
deceit  and  treachery  should  reach  her  through  me,  after 
all ! " 

I  broke  off  with  a  gasp  of  pain  and  fury,  and  again 
betook  myself  to  driving  the  boat  madly  through  the  water. 
Regaining  some  part  of  my  self-possession,  I  waited  a  sec- 
ond time,  under  the  lower  bridge,  and  resumed  the  dialogue 
in  a  less  excited  key,  if  not  in  milder  words. 

"There  is  no  reason  in  wasting  our  breath,  Mr.  Milton; 
you  have  broken  faith  with  me,  and  I  shall  be  extremely 
short  in  my  measures  with  you.  Within  this  week,  that  is 
to  say  by  the  next  steamer  which  goes  westward,  you  will 
leave  Japan.  Or,  you  may  take  your  choice  as  to  direction, 
but  here  you  shall  not  stay." 

"  A  likely  matter  !  "  he  replied,  jeeringly. 

"A  certain  matter,"  I  responded  with  emphasis.  "In 
token  of  which,  I  will  go  with  you  to-morrow  to  Yokohama, 
while  you  engage  your  passage." 

"And  if"— 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  103 

"  And  if  you  refuse,  I  will  not  only  disgrace  you,  (for  I 
begin  to  doubt  your  sensitiveness  to  that  sort  of  treatment), 
but  I  will  beat  you  as  such  a  cowardly  cur  should  be 
beaten;  not  one  day,  but  every  day,  and  in  the  public 
streets,  until  you  go  elsewhere  to  heal  your  broken  bones. 
Oh,  yes,  sir;  and  all  who  see  shall  know  for  what  villainy 
you  are  punished." 

"This  is  very  lively  language,"  said  Milton,  speaking  in 
a  manner  curiously  at  variance  with  his  usual  buoyancy  and 
heartiness;  "but  it  will  do  no  harm  to  you  or  your  object 
if  you  listen  to  me  for  a  moment.  As  to  your  threats,  if  I 
know  myself  at  all,  they  do  not  move  me  one  particle.  I 
don't  know  whether  you  have  the  power  to  execute  them, 
to  begin  with,"  — 

"Stop,  sir,"  I  interjected;  "you  are  perfectly  aware  that  I 
am  incapable  of  a  vain  boast  on  a  theme  like  this.  It  is  true 
that  I  am  speaking  in  great  exasperation,  and  at  a  later 
hour  I  may  see  cause  to  modify  my  plans  with  regard  to 
you;  but  there  is  no  more  doubt  in  your  mind  than  in  mine 
that  I  can  accomplish  all  I  choose  to  warn  you  of." 

"Well,  it  does'nt  strike  me  as  formidable.  If  I  really 
feel  myself  in  bodily  peril,"  he  pursued,  with  a  sneer,  "  I 
dare  say  I  can  provide  myself  with  some  contrivance  to 
keep  you  at  a  reasonable  distance." 

"  Since  you  show  your  hand  so  plainly,"  I  rejoined,  "  I 
will  use  my  present  opportunity.  I  shall  take  you  straight- 
way to  my  house,  and  keep  watch  over  you,  as  I  would  over 
any  other  vicious  and  cunning  wild  beast,  until  to-morrow. 
Then  the  order  for  your  passage  shall  go  to  Yokohama  by 
telegraph.  This  programme  is  quite  as  easy  as  the  other, — 
perhaps  easier." 

"  You  had  better  hear  me  to  the  end,"  he  answered.  "  I 
don't  propose  to  go  to  your  house  to-night,  and  you  will  not 
get  me  there  unless  you  have  some  clever  device  for  killing 
me  first.  What  I  do  propose  is  this.  I  will — I  will — well, 
I  have  undoubtedly  broken  the  pledge  I  gave  you  this  day, 


104  YONE  SANTO: 

and  what  I  feel  about  that  you  are  not  likely  ever  to  know." 
His  voice  fell  gloomily,  and  for  a  moment  he  was  silent. 
After  a  brief  pause  he  continued;  "  We  will  drop  promises, 
then.  My  statement  is  that  I  shall  voluntarily  be  at  your 
house  to-morrow  morning  at  eight  o'clock,  or  earlier,  if  you 
choose.  This  subject  can  then  be  taken  up  again,  on  -any 
basis  that  suits  you.  To  that  I  consent,  and  to  nothing 
else.  That  is  all  I  have  to  say,  and  all  I  undertake  to  per- 
form, for  the  present." 

A  hundred  feverish  thoughts  raced  through  my  brain,  as 
I  propelled  the  boat  toward  Tsukiji,  the  foreign  district  of 
Tokio,  at  more  moderate  speed  than  before.  I  was  not 
wholly  unconscious  of  the  wildness  of  my  recent  speech,  nor 
of  the  violence  of  my  menaces.  But  I  was  nevertheless,  at 
the  moment,  as  ready  to  carry  them  through  as  I  was  un- 
questionably able,  so  far  as  physical  strength  was  concerned. 
It  was  an  accident,  to  which  I  had  never  given  much  con- 
sideration, that  I  possessed  far  more  than  the  average  mus- 
cular force;  and  in  my  bitter  rage  against  this  smooth-faced 
rogue,  it  seemed  as  if  it  had  been  given  me  only  to  bruise 
and  maim,  or  perhaps  to  crush  him  out  of  existence,  if  he 
ventured  to  resist  the  orders  I  should  lay  upon  him.  As 
the  moments  flew  by,  however,  other  considerations  began 
to  fill  my  mind.  The  fierce  desire  for  an  immediate  re- 
venge gradually  gave  way  to  more  prudent  reflections  as  to 
what  was  most  important  for  Yone's  welfare.  Was  it  my 
part  to  create  or  to  magnify  a  new  and  cruel  scandal  ?  This 
was  precisely  what  I  had  striven  to  avoid,  by  keeping  my- 
self from  observation  by  the  party  at  Nakamura-ya.  Rap- 
idly adjusting  these  views,  I  adopted,  not  without  misgiving 
at  the  time,  what  I  am  now  well  assured  was  the  wiser  con- 
clusion. By  acceding  to  Milton's  proposal,  I  should  run 
no  risk  of  his  escaping  me.  I  could  keep  as  strict  a  guard 
upon  him,  for  my  purpose,  in  his  own  house  as  in  my  own. 
As  we  drew  near  the  landing  steps,  I  said: — 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  105 

"  Very  well,  Mr.  Milton,  I  agree  to  your  suggestion.  I 
shall  expect  you  not  later  than  eight,  to-morrow." 

But  it  appeared  that  his  ideas  had  also  undergone  a 
change,  for  he  answered,  as  he  stepped  ashore, — 

"  I  shall  be  there,  Doctor  Charwell,  unless,  indeed,  you 
prefer  a  more  prompt  discussion.  I  see  an  advantage  in 
that,  which  did  not  occur  to  me  when  you  spoke  before.  It 
is  not  late.  If  you  are  as  little  inclined  to  sleep  as  I  am, 
and  are  disposed  to  give  an  hour,  at  once,  to  the  matter  in 
hand,  I  will  go  with  you, and  let  you  hear  my  determination 
as  it  now  shapes  itself  before  me." 

I  was  surprised,  but  by  no  means  ill-satisfied.  Signifying 
my  assent,  I  led  the  way  to  my  quarters,  a  few  paces  dis- 
tant. 


XV. 

FAIR    PROMISE. 

SEATED  on  my  veranda,  overlooking  the  broad  bay  of 
Yedo,  I  waited  to  hear  the  motive  of  this  new  demonstra- 
tion. 

"I  will  say  once  more,"  Milton  began,  "and  say  it  for 
the  last  time,  that,  so  far  as  I  can  judge  myself,  your  threats 
of  abusive  treatment  have  no  weight  with  me.  But  there  are 
arguments  at  work  in  my  own  mind  which  do  indeed  affect 
me.  Until  this  night,  although  I  ought  to  have  known,  I 
did  not  fully  know  in  what  direction  I  was  tending,  nor 
with  what  insane  speed.  No  I  do  know.  No  harm,  fortu- 
nately, has  yet  been  done,  and  within  a  week  I  shall  quit 
Japan,  without  again  seeing  Yone  Santo." 

He  was  a  strange  compound  of  weakness  and  impulsive 
vigor,  of  honorable  and  ignoble  propensities.  Listening  to 
him  now,  marking  the  fervor,  the  apparent  frankness,  and 
the  unmistakable  feeling  with  which  he  spoke,  no  unpre- 
pared hearer  could  have  distrusted  him.  For  myself,  I  do 


io6  YONE  SANTO: 

not  doubt  that  a*  the  moment  he  was  thoroughly  sincere. 
But  it  would  have  been  a  lamentable  folly,  knowing  his 
utter  instability,  to  leave  him  in  a  condition  of  such  merely 
superficial  and  probably  transitory  regret.  His  impressions 
might  change  entirely  in  a  day;  and  I  had — or  believed  I 
had — ample  evidence  of  the  worthlessness  of  his  pledges. 

"Much  harm  has  been  done,  sir,"  I  said,  in  reply  to  one 
part  of  his  observation. 

"None  whatever,"  he  responded,  "thanks  to  Yone's  in- 
nocence,— not  to  my  honesty.  When  I  reached  home,  after 
leaving  you  this  afternoon,  I  found  a  note  from  her,  written 
at  Santo's  dictation,  and  asking  for  instruction  about  a  de- 
tail of  the  boat.  I  first  thought  of  going  there  to-morrow. 
But  the  evening  was  so  bright  that  I  determined  upon  an 
after-dinner  walk  to  the  building-yard  If  you  had  asked 
me,  I  should  have  said  it  was  mainly,  if  not  solely,  with  a 
view  to  answering  Santo's  inquiries." 

"  And  it  would  not  have  been  true." 

"  It  would  have  been  true  then,  for,  as  I  remember,  that 
was  certainly  my  conviction.  Now,  of  course,  I  recognize 
that  it  was  little  better  than  a  pretext,  imposed  by  myself 
upon  myself.  But  I  had  no  foreshadowing  of  what  would 
occur.  The  opportunity  was  unusual,  and  the  temptation 
was  great.  Having  settled  the  business  question,  old  Santo 
himself  proposed  going  into  the  garden;  and  after  seeing 
Yone  and  myself  seated  on  the  bench,  he  straightway 
dropped  asleep.  I  think  we  might  have  been  there  half  an 
hour  when  you  appeared.  How  much  you  heard  I  do  not 
know.  It  was  the  first  time  I  had  ever  addressed  her  in  a 
way — in  a  way  likely  to  do  harm.  I  had  been  friendly, 
and,  I  admit,  affectionate  before, — too  much  so,  perhaps, — 
but  I  had  never  tried  to  pervert  her  notions  of  right  and 
wrong.  As  you  probably  know,  I  failed  completely, — and 
I  thank  God  for  it.  I  was  surprised  in  the  beginning,  then 
vexed,  at  her  total  lack  of  comprehension.  I  could  not  help 
wondering  if  it  was  genuine,  but  I  soon  saw  I  might  as  well 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  107 

have  endeavored  to  make  her  understand  a  new  language 
as  tried  to  sully  her  thoughts  with  a  suspicion  of  evil." 

"  Why  do  you  tell  me  this  ? "  I  demanded. 

"  Because,  whether  I  succeed  or  not,  I  wish  to  try  and 
repair  some  of  the  damage  I  have  done, — the  only  damage, 
I  may  say, — which  is  the  uneasiness  I  have  caused  you." 

"  That  may  rest.  But  it  is  not  the  only  damage.  The 
unfamiliar  words  and  ideas  you  have  planted  in  Yone's  mind 
will  not  pass  out  of  her  recollection,  as  if  she  were  a  girl  of 
mean  intelligence.  You  have  laid  a  foundation  upon 
which  her  imagination  will  build,  until  she  becomes 
acquainted  with  the  existence  of  many  things  yet  unknown 
to  her.  It  was  against  such  a  risk  that  I  would  have 
guarded  her,  at  any  cost." 

"  But  surely,  Doctor  Charwell,  I  may  say — Heaven  knows, 
without  a  thought  of  offense — that  a  girl  of  her  peculiar 
beauty  would  be  sure,  sooner  or  later,  to  be  enlightened." 

"  You  know  little  of  this  country,  sir.  She  might  live  to 
old  age,  and  never  hear  a  whisper  of  such  venomous  stuff 
as  you  have  attempted  to  pour  into  her  ears  to-night.  That 
does  not  happen  to  be  the  style  of  ill-treatment  which  the 
Japanese  apply  to  women  of  a  decent  class.  It  was  re- 
served for  foreigners  to  institute  the  pastime  of  woman- 
hunting  in  this  part  of  the  world.  And  a  noble  revelry 
they  make  of  it !  They  remind  me  of  that  princely  Nim- 
rod,  the  Count  de  Chambord,  who  used  to  have  his  deer 
driven  so  close  that  he  could  look  into  their  eyes,  and  then, 
as  he  slaughtered  them  right  and  left,  he  called  it  sport. 
The  pursuit  of  Japanese  women  by  foreigners  is  the  same 
sort  of  manly  diversion.  They  bring  down  their  game,  not 
because  they  are  expert  or  daring,  but  because  their  victims 
are  all  unconscious  of  the  danger  that  threatens  them.  You 
and  others  fall  in  with  a  pretty  and  attractive  girl,  and  ply 
her  with  seductive  words  she  has  never  heard  before, — 
words  which  she  did  not  know  could  be  spoken  to  her,  and  the 
sound  of  which  awakens  emotions  she  had  never  dreamed 


lo8  YONE  SANTO: 

of.  She  becomes  alive  to  possibilities  far  outside  of  her 
accustomed  sphere,  and  to  the  possession  of  faculties  as 
strange  to  her  as  sunlight  to  the  blind.  Think  how  narrow 
are  the  limits  of  a  Japanese  woman's  happiness  !  Maternity 
is  the  single  deep  and  absorbing  joy  she  can  know.  If  she 
gets  a  husband  who  treats  her  with  reasonable  kindness, 
she  may  become  moderately  attached  to  him;  but  conjugal 
love  is  a  sentiment  she  never  feels,  and  never  dares  to  feel. 
If  she  finds  it  stealing  upon  her,  she  knows  her  sole  hope 
is  to  crush  it  out,  lest  she  suffer  the  more  keenly  when  the 
inevitable  day  of  neglect  and  cruelty  comes.  As  for  the 
proud  delight  of  courtship,  the  little  span  of  bliss  when  the 
weaker  becomes  the  stronger,  when  the  expectant  bride  is 
the  ruler  and  her  lover  the  willing  slave,  no  glimpse  of  such 
ecstasy  ever  dawns  upon  girlhood  in  Japan.  Of  all  the 
women  in  the  land,  not  one  knows  what  it  means.  But  you 
are  not  to  suppose  them  any  more  destitute  of  tender  sen- 
sibilities than  our  own  daughters  and  sisters.  The  loving 
instincts  of  their  sex  are  not  called  into  life  here, — that  is 
all.  But  what  is  to  happen  when  one  of  them  listens  to 
professions,  against  the  danger  of  which  our  young  women 
are  guarded  by  parental  vigilance  or  conventional  educa- 
tion ?  Why  should  the  untaught  Japanese  doubt  the  sin- 
cerity of  what  she  hears  ?  She  knows  no  reason  why  any 
man  alive — least  of  all,  any  foreigner — should  take  pains  to 
flatter  or  delude  her  by  false  avowals.  What  is  she,  to 
assume  that  it  is  worth  any  man's  while  to  beguile  her  with 
deceitful  protestations  ?  Who  would  so  foolishly  waste 
time  on  her  ?  Strange  as  it  seems,  it  must  be  real  and  true. 
She  has  never  before  been  told  she  possessed  beauty,  or 
grace,  or  other  charms;  certainly  not  as  she  is  now  told. 
Her  thoughts  have  never  been  turned  into  those  channels. 
In  the  ordinary  course  of  her  life  they  never  would  be. 
But  now  she  is  confronted  by  a  foreigner,  a  being  upon 
whom  she  looks  as  a  moral  and  intellectual  superior,  who 
flutters  her  little  soul  with  caresses  which  she  does  not 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  log 

know  how  to  reject,  and  which  open  to  her  a  rare  new 
world  of  poetry  and  romance.  Then  comes  her  dream  of 
happy  love,  which  lasts  a  month,  two  months,  more  com- 
monly a  week,  and  from  which  she  awakes  with  her  poor 
fond  heart  broken, — broken  as  ruthlessly  as  the  tie  which 
she  believed,  because  she  had  been  told,  would  endure  for- 
ever. That's  the  proud  game  of  the  woman-hunter  in 
Japan.  That  is  the  game  which  you,  Mr.  Milton,  start  out 
to  play  with  a  trusting,  unsuspecting  child,  confident  that, 
in  the  unequal  contest,  your  practiced  weapons  will  swiftly 
beat  down  her  weak  defenses,  and  destroy  her." 

"I  won't  admit,"  said  Milton,  without  a  trace  of  the 
anger  or  impatience  I  had  looked  for, — "  I  won't  admit  that 
any  injury  can  come  of  it,  though  I  have  no  intention  of 
exculpating  myself.  I  will  say,  whether  you  credit  it  or 
not,  that  there  was  no  premeditation.  The  grievous  story 
you  told  me  earlier  in  the  day  was  fresh  in  my  mind,  and  I 
was  filled  with  pity  for  the  poor  girl.  Pity — that  is  to  say, — 
well,  you  shall  have  the  truth  without  disguise, — it  was  not 
all  pity.  She  has  had  a  hold  upon  me,  for  weeks,  which  I 
could  not  break  away  from.  Not  that  she  knew  anything 
about  it.  All  she  has  heard  amiss  from  me  she  has  heard 
to-night.  It  cannot  hurt  her.  She  is  not  one  of  the  igno- 
rant and  unguarded  class  you  speak  of.  She  is  well  edu- 
cated; her  training  has  been  ample.  She  is  far  above  dan- 
ger from  so  small  a  mischance  as  this." 

"  Not  so.  Her  education  has  not  prepared  her  for  expe- 
riences of  this  kind.  Warnings  against  the  snares  of  un- 
scrupulous foreigners  could  hardly  be  taught  in  the  schools 
for  Japanese  girls.  Unhappily,  her  culture,  though  far 
from  what  it  should  be,  has  advanced  sufficiently  to  render 
her  keenly  susceptible  to  severe  misfortune.  She  is  one  of 
the  few  whose  minds  have  been  too  rapidly  and  maturely 
developed  for  the  position  they  are  constrained  to  hold 
Without  foreign  cultivation  of  any  kind,  she  might  have 
passed  through  life,  even  as  the  wife  of  a  rude  mechanic, 


no  YONE  SANTO:. 

and  never  felt  the  worst  of  the  griefs  and  humiliations  she  has 
now  to  endure.  Left  unaware  that  the  conditions  of  her  ex- 
istence were  a  perpetual  degradation,  she  would  have  known 
little  of  the  shame  which  now  oppresses  her.  Fortunately, 
her  scholarship  yields  her  some  compensations,  and  her 
own  beautiful  nature  sustains  her  in  patience.  But  there 
is  one  misery  from  which  neither  her  studies  nor  her  high 
character  can  protect  her,  and  which,  if  it  falls  upon  her, 
will  be  increased  a  thousand-fold  by  the  very  acuteness  of 
her  intelligence.  She  has  no  knowledge  yet — at  least  I 
trust  not — as  to  what  her  own  heart  is  capable  of.  All  I 
can  wish  for  her  is  a  composed  and  tranquil  passage,  -with- 
out heavy  sorrows,  over  the  course  marked  out  for  her. 
But  if  her  stronger  affections  are  ever  awakened  by  such 
wiles  as  a  reckless  libertine  may  employ,  and  if  she  .learns 
what  passionate  love  means,  then  her  peace  is  gone,  her 
future  is  a  hopeless  misery.  And  if  you,  Arthur  Milton, 
set  yourself  to  an  undertaking  so  cowardly  and  base  as  to 
draw  this  good  and  noble  girl  away  from  the  life  to  which 
she  has  resigned  herself,  only  to  leave  her  presently  to 
everlasting  despair,  you  are  a  monster  of  whom,  I  tell  you 
plainly,  I  think  the  Almighty  might  well  be  helped  to  rid 
the  world  with  the  least  possible  loss  of  time." 

"  I  have  said  I  shall  go  away  from  Japan,"  answered 
Milton,  "  and  I  mean  to  go.  I  cannot  bring  myself  to 
share  your  apprehensions,  but  I  will  act  as  if  I  did.  I  con- 
sent to  be  governed  by  your  extravagant  theories,  but  it 
will  never  be  apparent  to  me  that  a  young  woman's  whole 
life  need  be  made  wretched  by  a  bit  of  harmless  flirtation." 

"  Flirtation  !  I  tell  you  again  that  girls  of  Yone's  stamp 
know  nothing  of  such  a  word.  They  either  believe  or  dis- 
believe what  is  said  to  them.  You  do  not  require  to  be 
told  whether  your  language  and  tone  were  calculated  to  de- 
lude her  into  a  false  conviction  of  your  sincerity.  You  are 
well  aware  that  if  she  had  continued  to  listen  understand- 
ingly,  she  would  have  taken  your  declarations  in  all  hon- 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  in 

esty.  She  is  not  the  girl  to  yield  to  them  in  any  way  affect- 
ing her  good  name, — never  suppose  that, — but  she  might 
have  been  touched  by  a  spell  which  would  endanger  her 
peace  of  mind.  I  trust  to  God  she  has  escaped  it.  She 
cannot  know  what  a  happy  love  is;  it  is  too  late  for  that. 
After  all  she  has  gone  through,  she  had  better  die  at  once 
than  learn  what  love  in  any  form  but  that  of  friendship 
means." 

"  Of  course  you  know,  Doctor  Charwell,"  said  Milton, 
after  a  few  moments'  thought,  "  that  I  could  bring  a  score 
of  opinions  to  set  against  yours.  I  have  met  more  than  one 
man,  with  as  much  experience  as  you  have  had,  who  would 
scream  with  glee  at  the  notion  of  a  Japanese  girl  breaking 
her  heart  on  any  pretense.  Plenty  of  the  *  old  residents  ' 
are  quite  as  emphatic  on  their  side  of  the  question  as  you 
are  on  yours." 

"  Yes,  you  have  fallen  in  with  some  of  those  hardened 
brutes — leaders  of  rational  public  opinion,  they  call  them- 
selves— who  strive  to  establish  a  belief  in  the  general 
profligacy  of  Japanese  women,  in  order  to  lessen  the  scan- 
dal of  their  personal  iniquities.  I  know  the  set,  and  what 
their  evidence  is  worth;  and  so  do  you,  I'll  warrant,  though 
you  choose  to  quote  them  as  entitled  to  credence.  But  I 
tell  you  that  if  you  listen  long  to  those  cold-blooded  rep- 
tiles, you  will  soon  wish  to  forget  you  ever  had  a  mother  or 
sister." 

"Bad  as  they  may  be,"  replied  Milton,  "  they  have  facts 
to  support  them.  They  do  get  possession  of  Japanese 
women  without  much  difficulty,  and  generally  with  the  con- 
nivance or  approval  of  their  fathers  or  brothers." 

"  That  is  a  different  matter.  I  make  no  attempt  to  defend 
such  Japanese  men  as  condemn  their  wives  and  daughters 
to  shameful  lives.  The  best  contrived  tortures  of  a  couple 
of  centuries  ago  would  be  too  good  for  them.  I  speak  only 
of  the  women.  They  are  victims,  not  willful  sinners. 
They  are  brought  up  to  believe  that  the  highest  virtue  is 


112  YONE  SANTO: 

blind  obedience  to  parental  decrees.  They  accept  their 
doom  as  a  martyrdom,  and  surrender  themselves  to  a  con- 
tamination which,  they  assume,  the  dire  need  of  their 
elders  renders  inevitable.  It  is  often  the  saddest  of  sacri- 
fices, yet  foreigners,  knowing  this  to  be  true,  inhumanly 
pretend  that  the  vicious  course  is  adopted  with  satisfaction, 
if  not  with  eagerness.  Worse  than  all,  the  foreign 
women  who  come  here  with  maxims  of  Christian  charity 
in  their  mouths,  ostensibly  to  aid  in  the  work  of  civiliza- 
tion,— these  women,  almost  without  exception,  join  in  the 
defamatory  outcry,  and,  from  the  moment  of  their  arrival, 
act  upon  the  absurd  theory  that  they  are  dealing  with  a 
race  of  human  beings  among  whom  chastity,  modesty,  and 
delicacy  are  unknown.  They  treat  their  charges,  not  as  if 
a  single  one  of  them  possessed  the  naturally  clean  instincts 
of  girlhood,  but  as  if  they  must  be  all  put  through  some 
humiliating  process  of  moral  purification  before  being  ad- 
mitted to  companionship  with  these  over-righteous  messen- 
gers of  social  enlightenment.  And  the  result  ?  But  we  are 
straying  far  from  the  track,  Mr.  Milton.  Our  subject  is 
particular,  not  general.  Your  departure,  I  understand,  will 
take  place  " — 

"  Within  a  week,  as  you  shall  see,"  he  answered. 

I  thanked  him,  but  with  an  effort,  for  indeed  nothing 
would  have  completely  satisfied  me  except,  probably,  his 
immediate  withdrawal,  even  at  that  impracticable  hour, — 
on  foot,  if  necessary, — to  Yokohama,  and  his  prompt  em- 
barkation from  that  port  early  in  the  morning.  I  had 
obtained,  however,  as  much  as  I  could  expect;  and  with 
that  partially  consolatory  reflection  I  retired,  to  pass  the 
night  in  conjectures  as  to  the  steps  required  for  my  ill- 
guarded  child's  welfare  in  future,  mingled  with  deep  re- 
grets that,  among  the  whole  body  of  European  and  Ameri- 
can residents  settled  in  Japan,  I  could  not  bethink  me  of 
one  true,  large-hearted  woman  to  whom  I  might  confide  the 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  113 

story  of  Yone's  life,  and  whose  generous  sympathy  would 
supply  the  help  which  my  sex  and  my  rougher  nature  alike 
disqualified  me  from  offering.  Not  one  ! 


XVI. 


TREACHERY. 

As  I  sat  alone,  the  next  morning,  still  musing,  with 
many  misgivings,  over  the  difficult  situation,  I  was  startled 
by  the  abrupt  entrance  of  Milton,  in  vehement  haste  and 
much  disorder,  and  so  agitated  as  to  be  for  some  moments 
incapable  of  speech.  He  flung  himself  into  a  chair,  and 
gazed  at  me  intently,  essaying  at  intervals  to  articulate, 
but  repeatedly  failing.  I  carried  him  a  glass  of  spirits,  part 
of  which  he  drank,  exclaiming,  afterward,  in  a  husky 
voice, — 

"  I  wish  to  God  it  was  poison  !  " 

"You  don't  wish  anything  of  the  sort,"  I  replied;  "and 
I  hoped,  from  our  understanding  of  last  night,  that  there 
would  be  no  more  occasion  for  these  mock  heroics.  What 
has  happened  ?  " 

He  left  the  chair  he  had  taken  on  first  entering,  and 
seated  himself  in  another,  close  beside  my  table. 

"We  can  be  alone,  I  hope,"  he  said. 

"  Certainly;"  and  I  locked  the  office  doors.  Returning 
near  him,  and  examining  him  attentively,  I  saw  that  he  was 
in  an  unnatural  state  of  excitement,  from  which  I  could  not 
but  draw  alarming  forebodings. 

"  Come,  what  has  happened  ? "  I  again  demanded. 

"Worse — yes,  much  worse — than  I  could  have  believed," 
he  panted,  in  response. 

"  Speak  plainly,  man  !  "  I  cried.  "  To  begin  with,  you 
have  seen  Yone." 

"But  I  did  not  go  to  her,"  he  protested,  eagerly.  "It 
was  the  purest  accident." 


H4  YONE  SANTO  : 

"There,  there,  I"  answered,  "  leave  off  excusing  yourself 
and  your  misdeeds.  What  has  happened  to  Yone  ? " 

"  Nothing, — nothing  serious,  I  hope— I  believe.  I  have 
just  left  her,  at  the  bridge  near  the  Custom  House.  J  think 
she  will  soon  be  coming  to  see  you.  I — I  wanted  to  see 
you  first." 

"  Naturally,"  said  I,  giving  full  vent  to  my  contempt, 
and  concerning  myself  in  no  degree  about  his  feelings,  now 
that  I  felt  assured  Yone  was  safe, — "naturally  enough; 
you  wanted  me  to  hear  your  own  story  before  getting  the 
absolute  truth  from  her." 

"In  any  case,"  he  proceeded,  "you  had  best  listen  to  me, 
at  present.  You  can  learn  what  you  wish  to  learn  from 
her,  afterward.  She  has  gone  to  the  school,  and  may  be 
here  in  a  few  moments.  God  knows  I  don't  want  to  see 
her  again, — not  now,  if  ever.  I  want  to  get  over  what  I 
have  to  do,  and  be  gone.  No,  sir,  you  have  no  conception 
of  my  motive  in  coming.  I  have  broken  faith,  and  'dis- 
graced myself;  and  I  choose  that  you  shall  hear  of  it  from 
me,  rather  than  from  one  whose  kind  heart  would  lead  her 
to  soften — to  conceal — my  miserable  " — 

He  broke  off  abruptly,  and  so  livid  a  pallor  overspread 
his  countenance  that  I  forebore  further  reproaches.  Pres- 
ently he  resumed: — 

"  I  was  at  work  the  best  part  of  last  night,  packing  and 
making  ready,  and  by  to-morrow  I  should  have  been  pre- 
pared to  start  for  Yokohama.  I  had  not  the  remotest  idea 
of  seeing  Yone  again.  But  my  cursed  fortune  brought  us 
face  to  face,  as  I  was  walking  about  Tsukiji,  early  this 
morning.  She  was  on  her  way  to  see  you.  Her  curiosity, 
at  least,  was  excited  by  what  happened  last  night,  and  she 
was  looking  forward  to  an  explanation,  I  suppose." 

"  No  doubt  I  could  have  given  her  one  that  would  have 
done  no  harm,"  I  answered. 

"  But  I  could  not,"  he  rejoined,  excitedly.  "  There  was 
nothing  for  me  to  tell  but  the  truth.  I  could  have  avoided 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  n5 

her, — I  tried  to;  but  to  be  with  her,  beside  her,  again 

Good  God,  Charwell,  don't  you  know  what  temptation 
means  ?  I  lost  all  thought  of  everything, — everything  but 
her  and  myself.  I  forgot  I  had  ever  made  a  promise.  I 
forgot  that  we  could  ever  be  separated.  We  walked  to- 
gether for  an  hour, — perhaps  two  hours." 

"  And  what  did  you  tell  her  ?  " 

"All — all  that  I  ought  not  to  have  told  her.  But  she 
acted  very  nobly,  Charwell;  you  must  not  have  a  single 
doubt  about  her.  She  was  all  you  could  have  wished.  But 
for  myself  " — 

"  Ay,  keep  to  yourself,  young  man,  and  don't  you  offend 
decency  by  undertaking  to  vindicate  Yone  Santo.  We  shall 
have  the  devils  from  hell,  next,  avouching  the  purity  of  the 
saints." 

"  You  may  say  and  do  to  me  what  you  please,  Doctor 
Charwell.  Take  a  pistol  and  fire  it  in  my  face,  if  you  like. 
I  deserve  that  and  more." 

"  If  you  have  nothing  in  your  head  but  theatrical  shams," 
said  I ,  "  you  had  better  go.  You  seem  to  have  done  your 
worst  in  every  way.  You  have  lied  like  a  scoundrel,  and 
you  have  sown  unending  sorrow  in  a  gentle,  harmless 
breast.  I  thank  God  I  never  before  knew  so  foul  a  coward 
and  villain,  and  I  trust  I  never  may  see  your  like  again. 
Now  go  !  " 

"  You  strike  me  when  I  am  down." 

"  Not  I .  I  would,  heavily  enough,  if  it  could  do  any 
good.  But  you  had  better  get  out  of  my  sight.  I  see  an- 
other visitor  approaching.  Not  by  that  door;  come  this 
side.  You  can  find  your  way  through  the  house,  and  go 
out  by  the  rear  entrance." 

He  went,  with  hesitating  steps,  and  paused  once,  as  if  he 
would  have  spoken  again;  but  I  would  endure  nothing  more 
from  him,  and  closed  with  violence  the  door  through  which 
he  disappeared.  Then,  with  a  choking  sensation,  I  turned 


n6  YONE  SANTO: 

to  admit  the  child  who  grew  dearer  and  dearer  to  me  as 
each  bitter  stroke  of  fate  befell  her. 

I  had  urgent  cause  to  exercise  all  the  self-control  that  re- 
mained to  me,  as  I  took  her  hand  and  led  her  to  a  seat. 
A  single  night,  or,  more  probably,  the  last  few  hours,  had 
wrought  a  change  in  her  which  only  the  the  most  hardened 
in  worldliness  or  professional  self-righteousness  could  see 
unmoved.  The  fair,  open  brow  was  clouded,  and  marked 
with  lines  of  pain.  The  soft,  engaging  smile,  seldom 
brightly  joyous,  but  always  infinitely  winning  and  endearing, 
had  disappeared;  and  her  lips  were  pressed  closely  together, 
as  if  to  hold  in  restraint  the  expression  of  an  unwonted  grief. 
The  rich,  dark  eyes,  which  usually  shone  undimmed  in  frank 
and  trustful  sincerity,  were  cast  down,  under  the  influence 
of  an  emotion  which  she  dreaded  to  betray.  As  I  saw  her 
slender  form  yielding  to  the  physical  weakness  which  the 
suffering  of  her  earlier  life  had  fastened  upon  her,  I  felt  as 
if  some  dire  fatality  must  have  interwoven  itself  with  the 
unhappy  girl's  destiny,  to  overcome  which  no  human  skill 
could  avail.  All  that  my  care  had  done  to  remedy  the  in- 
juries inflicted  upon  her  in  childhood — little  enough  it  was, 
I  knew  too  well — was  now,  I  feared,  undone  at  a  blow. 
It  seemed  impossible  that  she  could  still  retain  sufficient 
strength  to  carry  her  through  another  term  of  tribulation. 

"  Thank  you,  good  Doctor,"  she  said,  presently  lifting  her 
face.  "  You  did  not  look  for  me  to-day.  I  asked  permis- 
sion to  come  to  Tsukiji  before  the  usual  time,  because 
something  had  made  me  anxious.  You  are  always  very 
kind,  and  I  am  sure  you  will  help  Yone  a  little." 

"Yone  has  no  need  to  ask  that,"  I  answered.  "I  hope 
it  is  nothing  too  serious  for  us  to  dispose  of  easily." 

"  I  do  not  know,"  she  sighed.  "  I  think  it  is  serious, 
and  I  am  afraid  it  cannot  be  easily  mended.  It  hurts  me 
a  little  to  tell,  and  if  I  might  ask  for  a  good  deal  of  time  I 
should  be  easier.  But  if  you  are  occupied  I  shall  wait,  or 
come  another  day." 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  n7 

"  No,  my  child,  I  am  not  occupied,"  I  replied,  feeling  at 
the  moment  that  I  would  be  willing  to  make  it  my  sole 
business  for  weeks  and  months  to  come,  if  I  could  hope  to 
heal  the  wound  I  feared  she  had  received. 

"  It  ought  not  to  be  difficult  for  me  to  speak  to  you  of 
anything,"  she  resumed.  "  I  do  not  quite  understand  it, 
—so  old  a  friend.  Yet  it  is  hard  to  begin.  You  will  not 
be  angry, — I  know  that." 

"Never,  Yone,  never;  and  being  an  old  friend,  I  may  be 
able  to  make  it  easier  than  you  think." 

She  glanced  at  me  with  some  surprise,  and  I  continued, 
clasping  her  right  hand  in  a  vague  desire  to  impart  to  her 
some  of  my  own  strength: — 

"  Now  let  me  save  you  the  trouble  of  beginning.  It  is 
about  Mr.  Milton." 

Again  she  gave  me  a  startled  look,  and  then  bowed  her 
head  in  assent,  without  speaking. 

"  You  came  because  of  what  occurred  near  your  house, 
on  the  river,  last  night;  but  since  you  reached  Tsukiji  some- 
thing more  important  has  happened,  and  that  is  what  I 
must  hear  about." 

She  now  gazed  full  in  my  face. 

"  You  have  seen  him,"  she  said,  in  a  low  voice. 

"  Yes,  I  have  seen  him.  Do  not  tremble  so.  He  has 
not  told  me  much,  and  you  need  not  tell  me  any  more  than 
you  wish  to.  I  am  quite  sure  that  everything  you  have 
done  is  right." 

"  You  know,  perhaps,  that  Arthur  has  given  me  " — 

"  Wait,  Yone;  why  do  you  call  him  Arthur  ?  " 

"  He  asked  me  to  do  so  last  night,  but  then  I  was  unwill- 
ing. He  begged  me  again,  very  earnestly,  this  morning, 
and  the  things  he  said  to  me  made  me  believe  that  it  would 
not  be  wrong." 

"  There  is  no  wrong  about  it,  so  far  as  you  are  concerned; 
but  for  the  present  it  is  better  for  you  to  speak  of  him  as 
you  always  have  done." 


n8  YONE  SANTO: 

"  I    am    sorry    for    that,"  she    murmured,    dejectedly. 

"  Why,  Yone,  does  it  please  you, — do  you  wish  to  call 
him  Arthur?" 

"  No,  it  is  not  that,"  she  answered;  "  but  he  told  me  it 
was  right.  I  am  grieved  that  he  did  so.  I  trusted  him." 

"And  he  deceived  you.  But  that  fault  is  his,  not  yours, 
my  child,"  said  I,  failing  to  seize  at  once  the  fact  that 
already  her  concern  was  chiefly  for  him,  and  for  his  repute 
as  an  honest  counselor. 

"  He  wished  me  to  call  him  Arthur,  because,  he  said,  he 
loved  me." 

"No  doubt,  no  doubt;  but  now,  you  see,  since  he  de- 
ceived you  in  a  small  matter,  it  would  be  unwise  to  believe 
him  in  a  larger  one." 

"But  I  did  believe  him,"  she  exclaimed;  "I  could  not 
help  but  to  believe  him  !  Why  should  he  trouble  to  tell 
me  such  a  thing  only  for  falsehood  ?  No  one  would  do 
that.  There  is  no  reason  in  it.  I  do  believe  him." 

"  Yone,  my  poor  girl,  what  can  I  say  to  you  ?  You  must 
not  believe  him." 

"  Doctor,"  she  replied,  softly,  but  very  firmly,  and  look- 
ing steadily  into  my  eyes,  while  the  delicate  color  of  her 
face  deepened  painfully,  —  "  Doctor,  I  wish  to  believe 
him." 

"  Go  on,  then,  Yone;  let  me  hear  all  you  have  to  tell.  I 
will  speak  afterward." 

She  passed  her  disengaged  hand  across  her  forehead, 
and,  struggling  to  command  herself,  answered  thus: — 

"  Last  evening,  by  the  river,  he  began  to  say  things 
which  were  quite  new  to  me.  At  first  I  did  not  listen  atten- 
tively, and  understood  only  a  little  part.  Soon  it  seemed 
that  he  was  making  jests,  for  both  of  us  to  laugh  at;  but 
suddenly  he  spoke  and  acted  in  a  way  that  gave  me  great 
surprise, — yes,  and  pain.  Then,  just  before  you  joined  us, 
he  talked  so  wildly  that  I  believed  some  trouble  had  dis- 
turbed his  reason,  and  I  was  deeply  alarmed  for  him.  I 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  119 

saw  that  you  were  displeased.  I  had  been  displeased,  top, 
but  I  could  not  bear  to  ask  myself  why.  As  I  sat  alone, 
beneath  the  stars,  and  recalled  what  had  happened,  strange 
thoughts  came  upon  me.  They  were  not  wise, — I  knew 
they  were  not  wise,  but  I  did  not  put  them  away.  Doctor, 
I  shall  keep  nothing  from  you:  I  could  not  compel  myself 
to  drive  them  away.  They  were  with  me  through  the 
night." 

Her  lips  trembled,  and  she  paused,  again  pressing  her 
hand  to  her  brow. 

"And  then  " — I  presently  suggested. 

"  To-day  he  was  more  clear.  I  met  him  beyond  Tsukiji, 
as  I  was  coming  to  your  house.  He  wished  me  to  walk 
with  him  a  little,  and  then  he  said  he  had  loved  me  since 
he  first  saw  me,  though  he  had  never  before  dared  to  tell 
it.  I  asked  him  why  he  had  not  dared,  but  he  did  not  ex- 
plain. Yet  I  know  he  was  in  earnest.  His  voice  shook 
while  he  spoke.  His  cheeks  were  sometimes  so  pale  as  to 
frighten  me,  and  sometimes  like  burning  flames.  He  im- 
plored me  to  love  him,  too.  He  said  I  must  go  with  him  " — 

"What — where?"  I  hastily  demanded. 

"Away,  far  from  Japan.  And  that  is  the  most  serious 
question  I  have  to  ask  you,  Doctor.  He  told  me  it  would 
be  right  for  me  to  go;  that  if  I  loved  him  one  half  as  well 
as  he  loved  me,  I  ought  to  go,  and  be  always  with  him. 
Oh,  Doctor,  you  can  tell  me, — was  it  true  ?  Is  it  right  ? 
Would  the  good  men  and  women  in  your  own  country  say 
it  was  right  for  me  to  go  ?  That  is  what  I  must  know." 

"  Yone,  do  you  really  wish  me  to  tell  you  how  you  should 
answer  him?" 

"  No,  no,  dear  Doctor,  you  do  not  understand,"  she  re- 
sponded, in  great  agitation  and  distress;  "you  need  not 
tell  me  that.  I  did  answer  him.  But  what  I  wish  to  know 
is  if  he  spoke — if  his  words  were  true,  when  he  told  me 
that  he  was  right  to  ask  me,  and  that  I  should  be  right  to  go/' 

"  Tell  me  first,  Yone,  what  your  answer  was." 


120  YONE  SANTO: 

"  Ah,  that  will  pain  me  to  repeat,  for  I  was  obliged  to 
hurt  his  feelings.  But  I  must  not  hide  it  from  you.  I 
showed  him,  as  kindly  as  I  could,  how  far  distant  such  a 
thought  must  be  from  my  mind.  I  showed  him  that, 
though  I  could  not  suppose  he  would  mislead  me  about 
what  men  and  women  might  do  or  say  in  Western  coun- 
tries, it  was  my  duty  not  to  think  of  them,  but  of  the  rules 
which  we  in  Japan  learn  from  our  elders.  Only  a  worthless 
woman,  I  had  been  taught,  would  leave  her  home  at  a 
stranger's  commandment.  And  though  Yone,  the  last  of  the 
daughters  of  Yamada,  was  a  poor  unlearned  girl,  no  wick- 
edness or  shame  should  ever  be  spoken  of  her,  or  give  her 
ancestors  reason  to  look  at  her  from  above  with  scornful 
faces.  It  was  severe,  Doctor,  yet  I  did  not  wish  to  be 
severe;  my  meaning  was  only  to  be  truthful  and  just;  and 
he — Mr.  Milton — saw  that,  I  am  sure,  for  he  made  no  sign 
of  anger." 

With  a  long  and  deep  breath  of  thankfulness  I  drew  her 
toward  me,  and  softly  kissed  her  forehead.  What !  Had 
I  allowed  the  faintest  shadowy  outline  of  a  doubt  as  to  the 
dear  girl's  integrity  to  darken  my  mind,  even  for  the  brief- 
est moment  ?  I  turned  away  my  head,  utterly  subdued. 

"Why,  Doctor,  have  I  said  anything  to  afflict  you  ?  The 
tears  are  in  your  eyes.  What  shall  happen  when  our  strong 
doctor  has  tears  in  his  eyes  ?  You  have  something  still 
harder  for  me  to  hear,  I  am  afraid.  But  I  must  know  it 
all.  Tell  me,  I  do  beg  you,  did  he  speak  the  truth  ?" 

"  I  can  do  no  good,  my  dear,  by  concealing  my  thoughts, 
or  making  light  of  Mr.  Milton's  conduct.  You  have  to 
learn  a  rough  lesson,  which  I  hoped  you  might  never  need 
to  be  taught.  That  man  has  no  truth  in  him.  Everything 
about  him  is  false.  He  has,  I  believe,  an  easy  and  indolent 
fancy  for  you,  because  you  are  a  girl  of  much  beauty,  and 
your  beauty  is  of  a  kind  he  never  saw  before.  But  if  he 
loved  you  with  honest  and  manly  sincerity,  he  would  never 
have  approached  you  as  he  did,  For  it  is  not  true,  in  any 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  121 

country  on  the  earth,  that  a  man  is  permitted  to  talk  to  a 
woman  as  he  talked  to  you,  unless  he  can  honorably  make 
her  his  wife.  He  has  been  a  villain  from  first  to  last.  He 
meant  to  persuade  you  to  join  him  in  a  disgraceful  flight, 
in  spite  of  my  watchfulness.  He  swore  to  me,  last  night, 
that  he  would  never  see  you  again, — that  he  would  leave 
the  country  without  doing  more  harm.  He  is  a  perjured 
caitiff !  " 

She  lifted  her  hand  with  a  gesture  of  entreaty. 

"Do  not  use  such  bitter  words,"  she  said,  faintly.  "I 
feel  that  you  are  right.  He  is  not  good;  but  it  wounds  me 
to  hear  he  has  acted  with  so  much  unkindness,  all  at  once. 
I  hoped — oh,  I  did  hope  you  could  tell  me  that  what  he 
said  was  in  some  manner  true;  that  in  foreign  lands  there 
were  unguilty  ways  of  following  the  course  he  urged  to  me. 
It  would  have  made  no  change  in  my  mind,  nor  in  my 
action.  I  must  do  what  is  right  in  my  own  eyes,  and  be 
led  by  the  teaching  of  our  own  good  men.  But  if  you  could 
have  made  me  sure  that  he  did  not  try  to  blind  me  by 
wicked  lies,  I  should  be  so  much  less  unhappy.  I  cannot 
bear  to  think  such  things  of  him,  —  such  wicked,  cruel 
things." 

Again  the  generous  spirit  was  troubled  more  by  the  dis- 
closure of  his  craft  and  falsehood  than  by  the  sorrow  he 
had  inflicted  upon  herself.  But  it  was  impossible  for  her 
to  check  or  disguise,  by  any  effort,  the  intensity  of  her  own 
suffering.  She  pressed  her  hands  convulsively  to  her 
breast,  in  the  endeavor  to  control  an  anguish  alike  new 
and  poignant. 

"  He  has  done  his  infamous  work,  my  poor  Yone, — I  see 
he  has, — and  done  it  swiftly." 

"  So  swiftly,  yes.    All  in  a  day;  all  in  one  little  hour." 

A  tapping  at  the  door  of  an  inner  room  interrupted  us. 
Supposing  a  servant  to  be  there,  I  opened  it  without  hesi- 
tation, but  found  no  one  on  the  other  side.  Looking 
about,  however,  I  presently,  to  my  amazement,  saw  Milton 


122  YONE  SANTO 

in  an  opposite  corner,  endeavoring  to  escape  other  observa- 
tion than  mine.  He  beckoned,  and  I  went  to  him  at 
once. 

"There  is  no  way  of  getting  out  of  this  house  of  yours," 
he  said,  in  a  whisper.  "  The  doors  at  the  back  are  locked, 
and  if  I  goby  the  side  I  shall  be  seen  as  I  pass  the  windows 
of  the  room  where  you  are.  Help  me  away,  somehow." 

"  You  have  been  here  ever  since  ?  "     I  asked. 

"L  have,"  he  answered. 

"And  have  heard  " — 

"  I  have  heard  every  word.  My  God  !  What  an  ordeal, 
and  what  a  revelation  !  " 

"  Come  this  way,"  said  I,  intending  to  show  him  a  pas- 
sage by  which  he  might  depart  unnoticed.  But,  as  we 
turned,  we  saw  Yone  standing  at  the  door.  Her  quick  ear 
had  caught  our  subdued  tones,  and  had  probably  recog- 
nized Milton's  voice. 

"  No,  do  not  go,"  she  said,  with  a  firmness  I  could  not 
have  expected.  "  I  beg  you,  Doctor,  to  permit  him  to  stay. 
It  is  well  that  Mr.  Milton  should  know  what  I  have  heard 
from  you,  since  he  left  me  at  the  bridge,  not  long  ago." 

The  control  of  events  was  slipping  out  of  my  hands. 
Certainly,  at  this  moment,  I  did  not  feel  that  I  could  inter- 
fere. 

"Come  back,  then,"  I  said,  "since  she  wishes  it  so." 

XVII. 

THE    STRUGGLE    OF  A    NOBLE    SOUL. 

"  You  need  not  tell  me  what  you  have  heard,"  Milton 
began,  as  soon  as  he  entered  the  room,  addressing  himself 
directly  to  Yone,  and  in  response  to  her  last  remark.  "  I 
know  it  all.  I  was  close  at  hand.  You  have  been  told  I  am 
a  traitor,  a  liar,  and  a  perjurer.  Oh,  yes,"  and  he  forced 
a  laugh,  "  I  know  the  whole  of  it." 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  123 

"Ah,"  I  interposed,  "you  heard  what  7  said,  and  that, 
I  see,  galled  your  pride;  but  I  should  like  to  know  which 
of  your  senses  was  touched  when  you  heard  what  this 
brave-hearted  girl  said." 

"  Do  not  speak  of  it, — not  now,"  he  answered,  in  humbler 
accents.  Then,  turning  again  to  Yone,  he  added,  "  It  was 
all  true,  all  that  part  of  it.  You  do  not  know,  you  cannot 
know,  how  horrible  it  is  for  me  to  say  it,  but  it  must  come 
out.  "Lhave  betrayed  you;  I  have  spoken  falsely.  For 
this  I  cannot  defend  myself.  I  cannot  even  ask  you  to 
forgive  me.  But  you  have  been  made  to  believe  one  thing 
which  is  not  true.  Neither  Doctor  Charwell  nor  any  man 
has  the  right  to  say  I  do  not  love  you  " — 

"Stop  there  !"    I  cried. 

"  Why  shall  I  ? "  he  persisted.  "  Let  me  tell  the  one  ex- 
cuse for  my  perfidy,  poor  as  you  choose  to  think  it.  I 
swear  to  you,  Yone,  that  my  whole  heart  " —  « 

I  sprang  toward  him  with,  I  imagine,  a  warning  light  in 
my  eyes,  from  which  he  saw  the  madness  of  continuing 
in  that  strain;  but  before  I  could  act  upon  the  impulse  to 
hurl  him  forth  into  the  street,  Yone's  mild  voice  once  more 
arrested  me: — 

"  Be  not  violent,  dear  Doctor,  and  do  him  no  harm,  I 
beseech  you.  He  cannot  hurt  me  any  more;  that  is  ended. 
And  it  is  right  he  should  know  what  my  feelings  are.  No, 
Arthur  Milton,  I  do  not  believe  that  you  love  me. 
It  is  not  true  that  you  have  ever  loved  me.  You 
have  caused  me  to  love  you,  and  that  I  cannot  help, — not 
for  many  years,  and  perhaps  not  while  I  am  alive.  But  if 
I  love  you,  I  do  not  respect  you,  and  one  single  small 
word  from  my  kindest  friend  and  father,  here,  means  more 
to  me  than  all  that  you  can  avow.  You  have  been  drawn 
to  me  by  what  has  pleased  you  in  my  foolish  Japanese  face- 
It  would  have  been  more  happy  for  me  if  my  miserable 
body  had  been  scarred  by  the  pestilence  which  disfigured 
so  many  thousands  in  my  infancy.  I  was  told  that  I  had 


124  YONE  SANTO: 

a  fortunate  escape.  I  now  see  that  the  scourge  would  have 
been  a  blessing.  It  would  have  saved  me  from  your  cru- 
elty, Arthur  Milton,  which  is  worse  to  bear  than  disease,  or 
— or  death." 

Her  voice  sank  as  she  uttered  these  words,  to  which 
Milton  attempted  no  reply,  only  writhing  and  cringing,  as 
if  each  sentence  stung  him  like  a  lash. 

"I  do  not  understand  it,"  she  continued;  "I  do  not  seek 
to  understand  why  you  came  to  crush  and  to  destroy,  if  you 
could,  a  simple  woman  who  never  thought  harm  of  you,  but 
who  believed  you  were  as  good  as  your  speech  was  gentle, 
and  as  honest  as  the  face  you  wear.  I  shall  never  ask  how 
a  man  like  you  could  make  it  his  sport  to  throw  me  into 
sorrow  and  shame." 

"  Don't  say  that,  Yone,"  I  exclaimed.  "  Not  shame,  my 
poor  child,  not  shame.  Sorrow  enough,  and  too  much, 
dear  girl,  but  not  a  touch  of  shame.  I  never  held  you  in 
such  honor  as  I  do  this  day." 

"  Doctor,  you  do  not  know  the  whole,"  she  replied;  "  I 
had  not  time  to  tell  you.  Others  do  not  think  like  you. 
I  visited  the  school  before  I  came  here." 

For  a  short  space  I  did  not  comprehend  the  full  meaning 
of  this  statement.  Then  suddenly  it  rushed  upon  me. 

"Good  Heaven,  Yone,"  I  cried,  "you  have  not  done 
so  thoughtless  a  thing  as  to  tell  those  people  what  has 
happened  ! " 

"Most  of  it  I  have  told  to  the  two  older  ladies,"  she  an- 
swered, calmly. 

"You  have  made  an  unfortunate  mistake,  my  child," 
said  I. 

"I  fear  so  now,"  she  admitted.  "But  I  could  not  know 
I  hoped,  although  they  were  not  always  mild  in  their, 
speech,  that  they  were  still  my  friends.  And  this  grief, 
Doctor,"  she  continued,  paying  little  heed  to  Milton,  who 
sat  apart,  "  was  new  to  me.  I  felt  it  was  a  grief  belonging 
to  women, —  for  women  to  understand  and  tell  me  how  to 


A   CHILD  OF  JAP  A. V.  125 

heal.  I  did  believe  it  was  my  duty  to  ask  for  help  from 
some  kind  and  generous  ladies  " — 

"  Not  there,  my  dear;  you  could  not  find  help  in  that 
place." 

"  Also  there  is  something  else,"  she  proceeded,  in  a 
lower  tone  than  before.  "You  have  seen  the  little  scrolls 
hanging  from  their  walls,  with  beautiful  words  taken  from 
the  book  of  their  faith.  They  have  long  been  wrtten  in  my 
mind,  but  I  never  had  such  thoughts  about  them  as  came  to 
me  this  morning.  One,  more  than  all  others:  'Come  unto 
me,  all  ye  that  labor,  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you 
rest.'  With  those  words  of  invitation  shining  on  their  walls, 
it  was  my  true  hope  that  even  if  they  could  not  welcome  me 
as  friends,  they  would  aid  me  in  faithful  obedience  to  the 
religion  they  profess.  Even  if  I  had  done  wrong,  by  their 
rules  they  were  bound  to  give  me  help.  But  I  have  done 
no  wrong  to  any  one.  I  told  them  the  truth:  that  Milton, 
their  countryman,  had  tried  to  make  me  forget  the  teach- 
ings of  honor  and  uprightness;  that  I  had  closed  my  eyes 
upon  him  forever,  notwithstanding  that  my  heart  was  full 
of  tenderness  for  him;  and  I  begged  them  to  show  me 
how  that  sacred  promise  of  their  prophet  could  give  me 
ease  in  this  great  pain." 

"  This,  also,  I  have  driven  her  to  !  "  cried  Milton,  when 
Yone  paused,  gathering  strength  to  proceed.  "  Is  there 
no  remedy,  Charwell,  —  is  there  no  way  out  of  this 
misery?" 

"  They  turned  away  from  me,"  she  resumed.  "  They 
said  I  was  a  wicked  girl.  And  that  is  false !  "  She  rose 
suddenly  from  her  seat,  and  a  flash  of  indignation,  the  first 
I  had  ever  known  to  be  kindled  within  her,  shot  from  her 
eyes.  "Yamada's  daughter  has  many  faults, — it  does  not 
become  her  to  deny  them;  but  wicked  she  never  was. 
Doctor,  you  will  protect  me  from  such  disgrace.  You  can- 
not fail  me.  You  always  know  me,  and  you  will  trust  me." 

A  confused  outburst  of  execrations  fell  from   Milton's 


126  YONE  SANTO: 

lips,  but  little  notice  of  what  he  said  was  taken  by  Yone, 
who  pursued  intently  her  own  train  of  thought: — 

"  Many,  oh,  many  times  they  have  urged  me  to  join  their 
religion,  and  more  than  once  I  have  reflected  on  it, — not 
because  of  what  I  heard  from  their  lips,  but  for  what  I  read 
in  some  of  their  books.  I  think,  to-day,  if  they  had  not 
hidden  their  faces  from  me,  and  wounded  me  in  my 
sorrow, — wounded  me  in  spite  of  those  solemn  pledges  in 
a  holy  name  with  which  they  cover  their  walls, — to-day,  if 
they  had  offered  me  the  charity  of  the  wise  and  gracious 
Christ  in  whose  ways  they  tell  us  that  they  walk,  I  might 
have  willingly,  and  perhaps  gratefully,  consented  to  their 
wish.  But  they  are  not  what  I  thought  them.  Now  I  will 
look  to  the  God  of  my  fathers,  whose  priests  are  not  learned, 
but  are  pitiful  and  kind.  They  cannot  give  me  rest, — I 
know  that;  but  they  can  make  my  life  active  in  useful 
labor,  and  help  me  to  forget  a  part  of  my  own  burden  in 
lightening  the  burdens  of  others;  and  that  is  the  best  I  can 
hope  for,  in  many  dreary  years  to  come." 

Parts  of  this  touching  lament  were  uncomprehended  by 
Milton,  as  she  had  spoken  alternately  in  English  and  in 
Japanese;  and  she  seemed  at  times  almost  unaware  that 
she  had  listeners.  As  she  concluded,  she  moved  toward 
the  door,  unheeding  the  young  man's  renewed  appeal, — 

"Yone,  wait;  let  us  see  if  something  may  not  yet  be 
done.  Charwell,  in  Heaven's  name,  stop  her." 

"  Not  against  her  will,"  I  answered.  "  Do  you  wish  to 
go  now,  Yone  ?  Are  you  strong  enough  ?" 

"  I  wish  to  go,"  she  feebly  responded. 

"Then  I  will  go  with  you.  Say  nothing  to  hinder  me. 
Obey  your  doctor;  you  are  not  well  enough  to  be  alone. 
You,  Mr.  Milton,  will,  I  hope,  be  here  two  hours  hence.  I 
have  something  of  serious  moment  to  say  to  you,  quite  dif- 
erent  from  anything  you  have  yet  heard." 

"What !  "  he  said,  eagerly,  "do  you  mean  there  is  still  a 
hope?" 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  127 

"I  mean  to  give  you  one  more  chance;  look  to  it  that 
you  appreciate  its  importance  and  its  value." 

I  found  a  spacious  jin-riki-sha,  and  insisted  on  sitting 
beside  her  as  she  was  drawn  homeward.  As  we  passed  the 
little  church  which  the  ladies  of  the  seminary  were  accus- 
tomed to  attend,  we  encountered  the  Philipson  twain, 
promenading.  Their  heads  twirted  around  as  if  simultane- 
ously moved  by  machinery,  and  their  faces  remained 
averted  until  we  were  at  a  distance.  Yone  grew  a  little 
paler  than  before,  but  gave  no  other  sign  of  having  ob- 
served the  slight. 

"  Yes,  you  will  have  to  look  elsewhere  for  your  religion," 
I  said,  to  give  her  ideas  a  more  active  turn. 

"  They  could  never  tell  me  what  I  wish  to  know,"  she 
replied;  "  I  see  that  now.  And  I  never  shall  enter  their 
house  again,  unless  great  sickness  or  trouble  is  there.  Or, 
if  you  mean  to  speak  of  the  church  itself,  I  do  not  think  I 
should  have  gone  to  it  often.  I  have  never  been  there 
without  discomfort.  It  is  not  pleasant  to  hear  gentlemen 
and  ladies,  whose  purpose  I  am  sure  is  kind,  telling  strange 
things  in  a  language  which  nobody  can  understand.  I  have 
always  been  sorry  for  them.  The  younger  girls,  with 
naughty  mischief,  would  go  to  laugh  at  them,  because,  in 
spite  of  their  earnestness,  they  had  not  really  learned  to 
speak  Japanese.  They  would  declare  to  us,  before  begin- 
ning, that  their  Lord  would  smooth  away  all  differences  of 
tongues  and  make  everything  plain;  but  in  truth  very  few 
of  them  said  anything  we  could  comprehend.  No,  no;  it 
was  not  by  listening  to  them  that  I  could  have  been  re- 
lieved from  trouble.  I  should  have  hoped  to  find  what  I 
needed  by  myself,  with  a  little  friendly  help.  One  might 
almost  be  satisfied  with  those  comforting  legends  which 
the  ladies  hang  about  their  rooms.  But  though  I  wish  to 
say  no  ill  of  any  person,  I  think  the  words  have  meanings 
which  those  two  stern  sisters  do  not  take  into  their  souls." 


128  YONE  SANTO: 

After  this,  she  was  silent  until  we  had  nearly  reached  her 
dwelling,  when  she  spoke  again: — 

"  Doctor,  he  said  he  could  not  ask  me  to  forgive  him, — 
Mr.  Milton,  I  mean.  I  did  not  heed  him  then,  and  I  could 
not  answer.  I  wish  you  would  promise  me  to  tell  him  that 
he  has  no  need  to  ask.  I  shall  forgive  him.  But  he  must 
not  know  it  until  he  is  going  away, — just  at  the  end.  Noth- 
ing must  happen  that  may  lead  him  back  to  see  me  again. 
Only  when  you  take  leave  of  him,  you  can  say  that  Yone 
will  strive  to  forgive  him,  with  all  her  —  with  all  her 
strength." 

XVIII. 

THE    LAST    HOPE. 

RETURNING  to  my  home,  two  hours  later,  I  found  Milton 
awaiting  me. 

"  You  are  punctual,"  I  said. 

"  I  have  been  here  ever  since.  I  was  determined  to  wait 
for  you,  though  I  have  twice  been  nearly  driven  away  by 
one  of  those  extraordinary  missionary  women,  who  seemed 
disposed  to  take  absolute  possession  of  the  premises.  She 
made  me  half  wild  by  her  attempts  to  drag  me  into  conver- 
sation." 

"  Who  was  she  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Jackman  I  think  she  said  the  name  was." 

My  heart  sank.  I  could  not  comfort  myself  with  a  doubt 
as  to  the  object  of  her  call. 

"  Here  she  is  again  !  "  exclaimed  Milton,  impatiently. 
"  I  hope  she  has  no  business  with  you." 

"  None  whatever  If  she  comes  in,  I  will  do  my  best  to 
get  rid  of  her,  you  may  be  sure." 

The  unwelcome  visitor  entered  in  breathless  haste,  and, 
without  waiting  for  forms  of  salutation,  began  to  interro- 
gate. 


A   CHILD  OF  JAP  AX.  129 

"  Have  you  heard  the  news,  Doctor  Charwell  ?  It  con- 
cerns you." 

I  was  staggered  by  her  audacity. 

"  What  news  ?  "  I  asked,  thrown  off  my  guard.  Re- 
covering instantly,  however,  I  added,  "  I  have  heard  no 
news,  and  if  you  will  excuse  me,  Miss  Jackman,  I  am  too 
much  occupied  to  listen  to  any,  now.  I  have  an  engage- 
ment with  this  gentleman." 

She  had  not  failed  to  observe  my  momentary  confusion. 

"I  think  you  must  have  heard  something,"  she  said; 
"but  if  not,  it  is  plainly  my  duty  to  inform  you." 

"  I  told  you,  Miss  Jackman,  that  I  have  an  engagement 
with  this  gentleman." 

She  gazed  at  him  curiously  and  intently,  pinching  her  lips 
together  in  an  aguish  smile. 

"  Perhaps  this  gentleman  is  Mr.  Milton,  of  Boston,"  she 
observed,  with  extreme  pungency  of  utterance. 

I  made  no  reply. 

"  Am  I  right,  sir  ? "  she  continued,  pertinaciously,  ad- 
dressing herself  this  time  directly  to  Milton. 

"That  is  my  name,  madam,"  he  answered,  shortly. 

She  glowed  with  exultation  over  the  opportunity  that  had 
unexpectedly  fallen  to  her.  Now  her  proposed  projectile 
would  strike  a  double  target. 

"  I  am  not  sure,"  she  proceeded,  seating  herself  with  stiff 
deliberation,  "but  that  I  have  a  call  to  deliver  myself  even 
in  the  presence  of  this  very  individual.  The  matter  may 
be  important  for  him  to  hear.  A  word  in  season  is  never 
misplaced." 

Milton  looked  at  her  with  surprise.  He  had  no  ac- 
quaintance with  the  robust  and  vigorous  "reclaimer,*'  and 
was  utterly  at  a  loss  to  understand  the  purpose  of  her  re- 
remarks.  I  knew  to  what  they  tended,  and  endeavored  to 
frustrate  her  malice  by  announcing  an  event  which  had 
been  officially  communicated  to  me  the  same  morning,  and 
thus  introducing  a  theme  which,  I  believed,  would  serve  as 


130  YONE  SANTO: 

a  counter-irritant,  and  divert  her  fulminant  energies  into  a 
new  channel. 

"  Ah  !  "  I  cried,  "  of  course  I  know  your  news  !  Speak- 
ing of  delivering  yourself  gives  me  the  cue.  It  is  true:  an 
imperial  infant  was  born  last  night.  I  can't  imagine  how 
you  heard  of  it." 

The  device  was  successful.  A  certain  feature  of  the 
emperor's  domestic  system,  sanctioned  by  immemorial 
usage,  but  not  amenable  to  the  canons  of  Western  morality, 
had  always  been  an  object  of  this  lady's  most  impassioned 
denunciation.  She  sped  madly  off  upon  the  tempting 
tangent. 

"  Who — who — who  " — she  gasped. 

"  Who  is  the  mother  ?  "  I  responded,  catching  the  mean- 
ing of  her  incoherent  appeal.  "  Not  the  empress,  I  regret 
to  say." 

"Abominable  !  "  she  burst  out,  stamping  her  foot.  "If 
/  were  the  empress  " — 

"  Ah,  if  you  were  !  "  I  answered,  quietly,  by  no  means 
insensible  to  the  humor  of  the  suggestion,  but  unable,  op- 
pressed as  I  was  by  anxious  cares,  to  derive  any  entertain- 
ment from  it.  My  sole  desire  was  to  keep  her  ideas  fixed 
upon  this  new  and  harmless  topic.  "  As  it  is,"  I  said,  "  the 
young  prince  will  enjoy  the  customary  privileges  of  his 
paternity,  and  probably  succeed  to  the  throne.  The  dig- 
nitaries go  to  cou-rt  to-day  to  offer  congratulations." 

She  rose,  trembling  with  wrathful  agitation. 

"  It  is  a  court  of  shame  and  infamy,"  she  railed;  "it  is  a 
lost  and  abandoned  court  !  " 

"  Not  wholly,  let  us  trust,"  I  remonstrated.  "  There  may 
yet  be  time  for  you  to  reclaim  it,  if  you  start  at  once." 

She  shot  a  vicious  glance  at  me,  and  for  an  instant  ap- 
peared undetermined  whether  to  remain  and  pursue  her 
original  design,  or  rush  to  the  dissemination  of  the  later 
and  more  momentous  intelligence.  The  fear  of  being  fore- 
stalled decided  her,  and  she  darted  forth  to  unburden  her- 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN  131 

self  of  the  interesting  fact  and  of  the  presumably  righteous 
indignation  with  which  it  inspired  her. 

Excepting  for  his  restlessness  at  the  delay  she  had 
caused,  Milton  had  regarded  her  demonstrations  with  in- 
difference, being  ignorant  of  her  motive  in  intruding.  I, 
on  the  contrary,  was  filled  with  dismay,  for  it  was  evident 
that  she  had  come  from  the  Philipsons,  and  had  taken  upon 
herself  the  congenial  task  of  circulating  their  version  of 
my  poor  child's  sorrowful  tale.  Her  reason  for  including 
me  in  the  round  of  visitation  was  undoubtedly  that  she 
hoped  to  glean  additional  matter  for  redistribution.  Mil- 
ton's presence  would  have  been  no  check,  but  would  rather 
have  instigated  her  to  especially  offensive  manifestations; 
and  it  was  a  satisfaction  to  have  warded  off  the  explosion 
which  would  certainly  have  followed  the  disclosure  of  her 
errand.  The  expedient  I  used  was  simply  the  one  which 
first  presented  itself,  but  it  was  vividly  recalled  at  a  later 
period  by  circumstances  which  impressed  it  indelibly  upon 
my  memory. 

The  moment  she  disappeared  I  locked  the  office  doors 
and  drew  the  window  curtains  together. 

"We  will  not  be  interrupted  again  by  anybody,"  I  re- 
marked. 

"I  thank  you,  Doctor  Charwell." 

Then,  attacking  the  subject  which  had  been  weighing 
upon  him,  he  said, — 

"  Your  last  words,  when  you  took  Yone  away,  gave  me 
something  like  hope.  I  trust  you  intended  them  to  do  so." 

Since  my  return  he  had  not  stirred  from  his  position  at 
one  end  of  a  table  in  an  obscure  corner  of  the  room.  I 
seated  myself  facing  him,  at  the  opposite  side. 

"It  wholly  depends  upon  yourself,  Mr.  Milton,"  I  replied. 
"  If  you  have  manlier  qualities  than  you  have  shown  in  the 
last  few  days;  if  the  events  of  this  morning  have  given  you 
more  correct  ideas  of  justice  and  duty  than  you  held  be- 
fore; to  put  it  plainly,  if  you  are  worth  the  effort  1  may  be 


132  YONE  SANTO. 

induced  to  make,  then  I  don't  deny  that  there  is  something 
like  hope." 

"  Do  you  think,  Doctor  Charwell,  that  any  human  being 
could  go  through  what  I  have,  see  what  I  have  seen,  hear 
what  I  have  heard,  without  becoming  a  changed  man  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  I  don't  know.  My  chief  concern  must 
be  for  Yone.  At  least,  I  suppose  you  know  her  better  than 
you  did.  You  will  not  pretend  to  question  her  goodness 
and  nobleness  now." 

"  God  knows  I  do  not." 

"  Her  beauty  needs  no  praise;  and  her  cleverness  and  in- 
telligence are  not  far  behind  it.  She  is  not  perfection. 
Persons  of  my  age  do  not  look  for  that  in  men  or  women. 
But  she  is  as  near  to  it  as  any  being  I  ever  saw.  Now,  the 
question  is,  Shall  I  attempt  a  thing  most  distasteful  to  my- 
self, the  wisdom  of  which  I  more  than  half  distrust,  but 
which  will  enable  you  to  thoroughly  comprehend  and  profit 
by  the  girl's  rare  virtues;  or  shall  I  take  the  safer  course 
of  sending  you  away,  and  allowing  time  to  heal  her  bruises  ? " 

"  I  am  bound  to  go  if  you  exact  it;  but  is  it  not  possible 
to  find  a  way  that  may  be  better  for  her  ?  " 

"  You  can  be  sure,  young  man,  that  I  have  no  other  ob- 
ject in  view.  I  understood  you  to  say  that  -you  would  do 
anything  in  your  power  to  repair  the  injury  you  have 
caused." 

"I  did;  and  so  I  will,  gladly,  eagerly.  Only  show  me 
that  it  is  possible." 

"  I  can  make  it  possible.  Or,  not  to  be  too  positive,  I 
do  not  doubt  my  ability  to  do  so.  But  let  there  be  no  mis- 
takes. You  are  to  remember  that  I  attempt  it  only  by  rea- 
son of  my  affection  for  Yone.  If  you  second  me  heartily, 
and  do  your  best  to  make  her  happy  again,  I  will  more  than 
forgive  you.  And  yet  " — 

"You  hesitate,  because  you  still  distrust  me,"  broke  in 
Milton.  "  I  have  given  you  cause.  If  I  did  not  feel  this, 
you  know  I  could  not  have  undergone  so  patiently  what 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN,  133 

you  have  said  to  me.  But  let  me  have  the  chance,  and  this 
time  I  will  prove  my  title  to  confidence.  There  !  I  will 
offer  you  no  more  pledges.  Try  me  and  you  shall  see." 

The  haggard  look  already  began  to  pass  from  his  face, 
and  his  eyes  brightened,  apparently  with  good  promise  an( 
sincere  hopefulness.  But  this,  again,  might  be  only  a 
transient  phase  of  his  variable,  shifting  nature. 

"  After  all,"  I  said,  "  if  my  plan  fails,  it  will  be  only  an- 
other downward  step  on  your  part.  Yone  will  not  hear  of 
it.  Now,  Mr.  Milton,  be  good  enough  to  tell  me  exactly 
what  you  proposed  doing,  if  she  had  been  the  woman  you 
thought  her,  and  you  had  succeeded  in  getting  her  away." 

It  was  an  unexpected  question,  and  he  answered  with 
some  confusion: — 

"  If  I  had  succeeded — I  meant — perhaps  I  had  no  fixed 
or  immediate  intention;  but  I  certainly  proposed  to  keep 
to  the  letter  every  promise  I  had  made  for  her  happiness." 

"  You  would  have  taken  her  from  Japan  ? " 

"  Yes,  surely." 

"  Clandestinely,  I  presume." 

"  Is  this  line  of  inquiry  necessary,  Doctor  Charwell  ?  " 

"  I  must  see  my  way,- sir.  I  have  no  desire  to  say  dis- 
agreeable things.  I  will  try  to  avoid  them.  But  we  are  on 
a  new  track  now,  and  I  must  have  a  clear  course  before 
me." 

"  Certainly  I  could  not  have  taken  her  otherwise  than 
secretly." 

"And  what  was  your  destination  ?" 

"  Oh,  that  I  cannot  tell.  Any  place  in  the  wide  world 
where  she  would  have  wished  to  go." 

"  And  for  how  long  ? " 

"For  how  long?     I  don't  understand  you." 

"  I  wish  to  know  at  what  time  and  place  you  would  have 
proposed  to  desert  her." 

"  Desert  her  !  You  are  trifling  with  me,  Doctor  Char- 
well.  Desert  her  !  I  wish  you  could  read  my  thoughts. 


134  YONE  SANTO: 

She  should  never  have  ceased  to  be  cherished  and  pro, 
tected.  I  would  have  assisted  her  to  realize  every  desire  of 
her  heart.  Her  lightest  fancies  should  always  have  been 
gratified.  I  have  abundant  means,  for  that  matter;  more 
than  enough,  most  persons  will  say.  She  should  have 
asked  for  nothing  on  earth  a  second  time,  as  long  as  she 
lived." 

"Ah,  as  long  as  she  lived,"  I  repeated,  drawing  my  chair 
close  to  him,  and  looking  him  steadily  in  the  face.  "  Well, 
then,  since  you  would  not  have  deserted  her,  and  would 
have  devoted  yourself  to  her  as  long  as  she  lived,  at  what 
time  and  place  would  you  have  proposed  to  marry  her  ? " 

He  started  violently,  knocking  from  the  table  a  set  of 
bronze  ornaments,  which  he  immediately  stooped  to  pick 
up,  keeping  his  face  averted  from  me  as  he  did  so. 

"Why — why — you  know,"  he  stammered,  "as  regards 
that,  there  is  an  obstacle;  as  matters  stand,  it  is  impossible. 
She  is  married  already." 

"  I  perceive,  Mr.  Milton,  that  you  have  not  made  your- 
self completely  familiar  with  the  phenomena  of  Japanese 
social  life.  You  evidently  know  very  little  about  the  con- 
jugal relation  here;  which,  to  be  sure,  is  too  repulsive,  in 
many  features,  to  attract  ardent  inquirers.  It  happens  to 
be  the  case  that  for  the  most  trivial  causes — I  might  almost 
say  for  any  cause,  or,  indeed,  no  cause — a  husband  can  cast 
off  his  wife,  and  leave  her  to  follow  a  separate  course  of 
life.  He  is  entirely  free;  and,  for  all  practical  considera- 
tions that  we  need  look  at,  so  is  she.  Therefore  there 
would  have  been  no  impassable  barrier  to  marriage,  at  your 
earliest  pleasure.  But  you  will  not  imagine  that  I  should 
approve  any  irregular  proceeding.  Nothing  of  that  sort  is 
in  my  mind.  Nothing  which  might  be  deemed  indecorous 
would  satisfy  my  notion  of  what  is  fitting  for  Yone  Santo. 
No  running  away  for  her;  no  law-breaking,  bad  as  the  law 
may  be.  She  has  a  husband  already,  as  you  say,  and  you 
consequently  assume  that  she  cannot  marry  you.  But  now 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  135 

let  us  suppose  that  I  remove  the  obstacle;  that  I  make  it  all 
clear  and  practicable, — reputably,  and  in  perfect  accordance 
with  every  conventional  requirement." 

He  changed  his  attitude  as  I  thus  addressed  him,  and 
stared  at  me,  as  if  suddenly  bereft  of  his  senses. 

"  You  astound  me,  Charwell.  I  can't  take  in  such  a  train 
of  thought.  How  can  you  make  it  possible  ?  How  can  it 
be  done  ? " 

"  For  that  matter,"  I  replied,  "  the  best  explanation  is  in 
the  byword  of  our  immaculate  spinster,  Miss  Sophia  Philip- 
son, — '  because  we  are  in  Japan.'  For  once  in  a  way,  a 
beneficent  use  can  be  made  of  a  detestable  system.  It  is 
absurd  to  imagine  that  Santo  Yorikichi  is  capable  of  esti- 
mating the  worth  of  a  woman  like  Yone,  and  he  never  had 
an  idea  of  deep  attachment  to  any  human  being.  He  mar- 
ried her  with  the  dim  notion  that  he  might  thus  '  get  even ' 
with  the  aristocratic  class,  to  which,  as  he  knew,  she  be- 
longed. But  he  has  outgrown  that  fancy,  and  I  have  little 
doubt  that  the  constant  proximity  of  a  creature  so  delicate 
and  refined,  so  antipathetic  in  all  respects  to  his  own 
coarse  fibre,  begins  to  weary  him.  Now,  then,  you  see  my 
drift." 

Another  set  of  ideas  began  to  work  in  his  unstable  mind. 
He  clutched  nervously  at  the  arms  of  his  chair,  grasped  his 
head  in  his  hands,  and  by  divers  signs  and  gestures  indi- 
cated an  extreme  disquietude. 

"I  hardly  think  so,"  he  said,  hesitatingly.  "No,  not 
yet.  All  these  things  are  so  new, — so  remarkable  to  me. 
I  am  not  sure  I  understand  you,  even  now." 

"  The  sole  difficulty  is  that  Santo  is  a  well-to-do  man,  for 
his  station,  and  may  not  come  readily  to  terms.  He  dotes 
on  money,  but  he  has  already  a  fair  amount  of  it.  How- 
ever, I  will  undertake  to  satisfy  him  in  one  solid  way  or  an- 
other. The  separation  can  and  shall  be  effected.  In  less 
than  a  week,  I  trust,  Yone  may  be  liberated,  without  any 
deviation  from  proper  and  recognized  Japanese  practice. 


136  YONE  SANTO: 

She  shall  stand  before  you  free  from  entanglement,  utterly 
free  from  reproach,  ready — unless  she  is  more  unforgiving 
than  I  can  believe — to  overlook  what  has  passed,  and  to  be- 
come your  wife." 

"  My  wife  !  "  he  cried,  while  an  expression  of  blank 
amazement  and  incredulity  settled  on  his  face, — "  my  wife  ! 
In  God's  name,  what  are  you'  raving  about  ?  Are  you  talk- 
ing to  me  of  marriage  with  the  divorced  wife  of  a  Jap- 
anese mechanic  ?  You  must  be  mad  !  " 

For  a  moment  I  was  powerless  to  speak.  Then  my  tem- 
per, never  under  the  steadiest  mastery,  burst  forth  uncon- 
trolled, and  a  blinding  rage  possessed  me. 

"  By  the  Lord,  I  believe  I  am  mad  !  "  I  stormed.  "  I 
swear  I  must  have  been  out  of  my  senses  for  the  last  half 
hour.  I  thought  I  was  talking  with  a  man,  and  I  only  now 
discover  that  it's  a  dog.  Come,  take  advantage  of  the  hal- 
lucination, you  hound  !  Get  out  of  my  sight  and  reach, 
before  I  have  time  to  think  again  what  you  really  are." 


XIX. 


DIVERGENT    PATHS. 

MILTON  stumbled  forth,  across  the  threshold  and  into  the 
street,  in  a  dazed  and  bewildered  manner,  and  before  the 
next  evening  he  had  transferred  himself  and  his  belongings 
to  Yokohama,  as  I  took  sure  measures  to  discover.  This, 
then,  was  the  end  of  the  sorrowful  drama,  so  far  as  that 
heartless  miscreant  was  concerned.  But  for  Yone,  who 
could  tell  what  the  end  might  be  ?  The  day  following  the 
scene  at  my  office  was  Saturday,  when  she  usually  came  to 
me,  if  on  no  other  errand  than  to  ask  instruction  as  to  the 
treatment  of  some  new  invalid  whom  she  had  added  to  her 
private  list  of  patients;  but  as  she  did  not  appear,  I  started 
on  Sunday  morning  to  walk  to  her  residence,  fearing  she 
might  have  been  prostrated  by  the  excitement  she  had  un- 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN '.  137 

dergone,  or  by  her  endeavors  to  stifle  and  overcome    it. 

Near  the  Philipson  school  I  overtook  a  small  group  of 
missionaries,  including  the  ladies  at  the  head  of  that  estab- 
lishment; Miss  Gibson,  the  neophyte  mentioned  in  the 
earlier  pages  of  this  narrative;  and  a  few  others,  of  both 
sexes.  I  was  about  to  pass  them  with  a  silent  salutation, 
but  the  leader  of  the  party  called  me  back. 

"Doctor,"  she  said,  "I  believe  Miss  Jackman  looked  in 
upon  you  the  day  before  yesterday." 

"  She  did,  madam,"  I  replied. 

"  I  understand  that  she  left  you  before  she  could  explain 
the  particular  object  of  her  visit.  'Do  you  know  what  it 
was  ? " 

"  It  is  not  always  possible  to  know  what  Miss  Jackman's 
particular  object  may  be.  Her  general  object  seems  to  be 
to  make  herself  disagreeable." 

"  She  knows  her  duty,"  testified  the  earnest  spinster,  "  and 
she  fulfills  it,  no  matter  what  suffering  it  may  cost  her." 

"Or  anybody  else,"   I  supplemented,  ironically. 

"  Or  anybody  else,"  she  assented,  with  matter-of-fact 
composure. 

The  younger  sister  now  pressed  forward. 

"  Pray  tell  me,  Doctor  Charwell,"  she  began,  "  was  not 
Mr.  Milton  also  at  your  house  ? " 

"I  was  about  to  make  the  inquiry,"  said  the  elder,  in  a 
tone  of  mild  reproof.  "  But  first  I  would  ask  the  doctor  if 
his  protegee,  Mrs.  Santo,  was  in  Tsukiji  yesterday." 

"  I  do  not  know,  madam;  I  have  not  seen  her  since  Friday/' 

"Oh,  Friday,"  she  repeated,  significantly;  "dear  me,  yes. 
I  am  aware  that  you  saw  her  on  Friday.  Many  persons 
saw  her;  too  many,  I  might  say." 

"  I  am  convinced  of  that,  madam,"  I  responded. 

"Oh,  quite  too  many, "  exclaimed  Miss  Kezia,  obtuse  to 
my  fling  of  sarcasm,  and  intent  upon  her  own  point  only, — 
"altogether  too  many;  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  that,  poor 
creature." 


133  YONE  SANTO: 

"  As  to  'poor  creature,'  I  am  not  so  sure,"  said  the  sour 
senior.  "  But — well,  yes;  on  the  whole,  as  we  are  in  Japan, 
we  will  say  '  poor  creature.'  " 

"  Good-morning,  ladies,"  said  I,  endeavoring  to  move 
forward,  out  of  range  of  their  pestilent  tongues.  But  they 
were  walking  in  the  same  direction,  and  I  could  not  escape 
them. 

"Excuse  me,  Doctor;  one  moment,  I  beg  of  you.  I 
trust  you  will  ease  my  mind  on  a  serious  matter.  You  can- 
not possibly  know  all  that  has  happened,  but  I  assure  you 
we  have  learned  sufficient  to  justify  us  in  excluding  that 
young  woman  from  our  habitation,  hereafter." 

"Indeed;  and  from  whom  have  you  learned  it,  madam, 
may  I  ask  ? " 

"  From  the  best  authority,  sir, — from  her  own  self." 

"Her  own  self,"  iterated  the  younger  sister;  "she  con- 
fessed everything." 

"  Confessed  !  "  I  ejaculated.  "  That's  an  extraordinary 
word  to  use  in  connection  with  a  stainless  woman.  Do 
you  pretend  to  say  that  she  confessed  in  the  sense  of  having 
a  fault  to  reveal  ? " 

They  both  hesitated. 

"Pray  answer;  did  she  not  come  to  acquaint  you  with  a 
heavy  misfortune  that  had  befallen  her,  and  to  ask  your 
sympathy  and  assistance  ?  " 

"  Really,  Doctor,  you  put  it  in  so  singular  a  way." 

"  Was  not  that  the  way  she  put  it  ? " 

"  I  dare  say  she  did;  she  was  always  a  designing  girl, — 
they  all  are,"  said  the  elder  sister,  who  never  lacked  re- 
sources for  a  retort.  "  But  what  I  more  particularly  wanted 
to  say  was,  that  I  hope  the  severity  we  have  found  it 
necessary  to  exercise  with  her  will  not  have  the  effect  of 
depriving  us  of  the  service  you  have  always  so  generously 
tendered." 

"  Oh,  I  will  do  what  I  can  for  the  little  ones,"  I  an- 
swered; "but  you  have  deprived  yourselves  of  a  healer 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  .139 

who  can  do  more  for  your  sick  than  a  dozen  men  like  me." 

"Ah,  Doctor,  you  do  exaggerate  so." 

"  Not  I.  Yone  has  kept  life  in  many  a  drooping  body 
which  I  could  never  have  revived.  She  alone  knew  the 
secret  of  counteracting  your  " — 

"  Our  what,  Doctor,  if  you  will  be  so  kind  ?  " 

"Well,  your  carelessness,  your  neglect,  your  ignorant 
treatment,  your  improper  food,  if  you  must  be  told.  You 
can't  build  up  sickly  infants  on  imperfect  nourishment  and 
bad  temper.  Yone  kept  their  little  heads  above  water,  in 
spite  of  all,  God  bless  her.  In  rejecting  her  you  do  more 
mischief  to  them  than  to  the  girl  you  persecute." 

The  exemplary  lady  was  speechless  with  ire;  not  wholly 
to  the  dissatisfaction  of  Miss  Kezia,  whose  opportunities 
for  eloquence  were  few,  and  who  promptly  availed  herself 
of  the  occasion. 

"As  to  that,  we  do  not  know,"  she  said;  "that is  in  the 
hands  of  a  higher  power.  Better,  perhaps,  that  their  sinful 
bodies  should  perish  than  that  their  immortal  souls  be  cor- 
rupted by  evil  communication.  We  only  know  our  duty. 
The  inward  monitor  indorses  our  resolution  not  to  receive 
her." 

Murmurs  of  approbation  affirmed  the  general  confidence 
in  so  responsible  a  backer  as  the  Philipsons'  inward 
monitor. 

"  Not  to  receive  her,"  I  repeated.  "  That  seems  to  recall 
a  familiar  phrase.  '  Whosoever  shall  receive  this  child ' — 
How  does  it  run  ?  I  am  a  bad  hand  at  quotation.  You 
know  all  about  it,  Miss  Philipson.  It  belongs  to  ancient 
literature." 

Though  still  palpitating  with  indignation  at  my  arraign- 
ment of  her  domestic  system,  she  was  not  insensible  to  the 
flattery  of  being  appealed  to  as  a  historical  authority. 

"  To  ancient  literature,"  she  echoed, — "  to  ancient  litera- 
ture. Let  me  consider.  Classic,  I  presume" 

An    ominous  whisper  rustled    through  the    procession. 


I4o  YONE  SANTO: 

Heads  were  bent  together,  and  a  subdued  warning  buzzed 
along  the  line,  until  it  reached  the  ear  of  Miss  Sophia. 

"  Gracious  Heaven  !  "  she  cried,  as  I  suppose  she  might 
have  cried  if  a  scorpion  had  stung  her.  "  Thisis  too  horri- 
ble !  Much  I  could  expect,  and  much  I  would  endure;  but 
that  blasphemy  should  be  thrown  into  my  face,  straight  into 
my  open  face,  on  this  sacred  day,  almost  under  the  shadow 
of  that  sacred  steeple  at  the  next  corner, — rank  blasphemy, 
and  in  the  public  streets, — it  is  too  much  !  "  She  sought 
relief,  as  was  her  frequent  habit  when  unduly  excited,  in  a 
maze  of  metaphorical  confusion.  "  The  line  is  drawn,  Doc- 
tor Charwell.  A  gulf  rises  between  us.  Here  I  cross 
over  to  the  Rubicon.  We  will  turn  now,  sister,  and  friends. 
Miss  Gibson,  I  think  you  will  do  well  to  come  with  us." 

"You  know  I  cannot,  madam,"  replied  that  young  lady, 
gravely. 

"Oh,  good-day,  then;  good-fay\9\  exclaimed  the  others 
of  the  party,  as  they  moved  toward  the  little  church  which 
constituted  their  stronghold. 

"This  is  odd,"  I  remarked,  on  finding  that  Miss  Gibson 
and  I  were  left  standing  alone.  "  May  I  ask  if  you  are  not 
taking  their  course  ?" 

"  There's  a  double  meaning  in  that  question,  I  imagine," 
she  said,  smiling  faintly;  "but  at  any  rate,  I  am  not  taking 
their  course  now." 

"  If  you  are  walking  toward  the  river,"  said  I,  "  I  hope 
you  will  let  me  accompany  you  a  little  way." 

"  Certainly,"  she  answered;  and  indeed  I  think  I  shall 
ask  you  for  some  information,  if  you  please." 

I  was  so  perplexed  by  the  circumstance  of  her  separation 
from  her  customary  associates,  and  on  a  Sunday  morning, 
too,  that  I  failed  to  respond  at  once;  but,  presently  recollect- 
ing myself,  I  said  abruptly: — 

"  Yes,  yes,  by  all  means.  Pray  excuse  me;  I  was  taken 
a  little  aback  by  your  sudden  secession  from  our  friends 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  141 

yonder.  It's  no  affair  of  mine,  Miss  Gibson;  I  am  well 
aware  of  that,  and  I  won't  offend  you  by  referring  to  it 
again." 

"There  is  no  offense,  Doctor Charwell;  I  may  find  it  ex- 
pedient to  refer  to  it  myself,  rather  openly.  But  I  am  more 
especially  anxious  to  learn  if  Yone  Santo's  visit  to  the  Phil- 
ipsons  occurred  as  you  just  now  stated  it." 

"  How  do  you  mean  ? " 

"  Did  she  really  go  there  in  trouble,  to  ask  for  consola- 
tion and  sympathy  ? " 

"  That  is  precisely  the  case.  Will  you  tell  me  why  you 
wish  to  know  ?  " 

"  Certainly  I  will.  I  have  no  idea  of  concealing  that,  or 
many  other  things.  Those  ladies  have  been  telling  every- 
body that  she  came  in  a  wild,  despairing  state,  to  make  a 
confession  of  depravity  which  she  could  no  longer  keep  on 
her  guilty  soul;  and  that  she  then  ran  away  to  rejoin  her — 
her  lover,  I  believe  they  said." 

"  Meaning  Mr.  Milton,  no  doubt." 

"Yes,  Mr.  Milton,  my  fellow-townsman.  But  you  are 
not  to  think  I  accepted  the  story  as  unvarnished  truth.  I 
am  sorry  to  say  I  know  the  Philipsons  better  than  I  did." 

"  If  I  were  not  afraid  of  making  a  breach  between  you 
and  the  heads  of  your  mission,  I  would  tell  you  exactly 
what  occurred;  for  it  all  came  authentically  to  my  knowl- 
edge." 

"  There  is  no  longer  any  question  of  making  a  breach," 
she  began,  sadly;  but  changing  suddenly,  she  added:  "  No 
harm  can  come  from  my  learning  the  real  truth,  provided 
there  is  nothing  that  ought  to  be  left  untold, — as  to  which 
Miss  Philipson  expressed  many  doubts." 

"You  shall  judge,"  said  I;  and  as  we  walked  to  the 
river,  crossed  the  bridge,  and  proceeded  toward  Santo's 
house,  I  laid  before  her  the  incidents  of  the  past  few  days, 
reverting  also  to  a  few  details  of  Yone's  earlier  life,  illus- 
trative of  her  candor  and  simple  uprightness.  More  than 


M2  YONE  SANTO: 

once,  the  warm-hearted  American  girl's  handkerchief  was 
lifted  to  her  eyes,  and  I  began  to  hope  that  my  lonely 
sufferer  would  at  last  win  a  friend  better  suited  to  her  wants 
than  a  grim,  rugged,  and  stormy-tempered  bachelor,  more 
than  thrice  her  age. 

XX. 

A    FRIEND    IN    NEED. 

"  PERHAPS  you  are  going  to  her  now  ?  "  suggested  Miss 
Gibson,  when  I  had  ended. 

"  I  am;  she  did  not  come  to  our  part  of  the  town  yester- 
day, and  I  am  anxious  about  her." 

"  You  have  reason  to  be,  Doctor.  Will  you  let  me  go 
with  you  ? " 

"Gladly — joyfully,"  I  replied;  but,  thinking  of  Sahto's 
rough  ways  and  Yone's  uncongenial  surroundings,  I  con- 
sidered it  necessary  to  enlighten  her  on  these  points. 
This  involved  further  allusion  to  Yone's  undeserved  mis- 
fortunes, to  which  Miss  Gibson  listened  with  amazement 
and  indignation. 

"  The  unhappy  child  !  "  she  exclaimed;  "  her  life  seems 
to  have  been  one  continuous  sorrow.  But  surely  the  case 
is  most  unusual." 

"  Do  not  think  so,"  I  said;  "it  is  only  too  common.  The 
mass  of  the  Japanese  women  are  condemned  to  similar 
mental  trials,  if  not  to  equal  bodily  hardship.  It  is  true 
that  those  who  are  utterly  untaught  escape  the  worst  misery. 
They  accept  their  degradation  without  inquiry  or  com- 
plaint, as  the  natural  accompaniment  of  their  lot." 

"But  I  hav§  heard  nothing  of  these  things  before,"  she 
said,  with  startled  eagerness. 

"You  have  not  been  here  long,"  I  answered;  "and  as 
for  the  elders  of  your  body,  I  conclude  that  they  are  dumb 
and  blind  because  they  have  no  wish  to  be  otherwise." 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  143 

"This  is  dreadful,  Doctor  Charwell;  if  you  are  correct, 
the  more  we  try  to  educate  them,  the  more  they  must 
suffer." 

"For  a  time,  unfortunately,  yes;  it  may  be  for  a  long 
time.  But  that  proves  nothing  against  continuing  to  ed- 
ucate them  as  thoroughly  and  rapidly  as  possible.  It  is  a 
tangled  question,  Miss  Gibson,  which  we  cannot  unravel  in 
a  hasty  conversation.  You  shall  know,  however,  that  my 
judgment  is  totally  against  the  system  of  missionary  culture 
ordinarily  attempted  with  Japanese  girls.  It  is  more  likely 
to  lead  to  their  ruin  than  their  redemption.  But  I  am  teach- 
ing you  rank  rebellion.  What  would  those  best  of  ladies 
say,  if  they  knew  where  I  am  leading  your  thoughts  ?  " 

"  They  would  have  nothing  to  say,"  she  replied,  sadly; 
"  when  I  left  them  at  that  corner,  I  left  them  forever." 

"  Indeed;  was  it  so  serious  a  matter  ? " 

"  The  matter  itself  was  not  serious.  You  would  probably 
smile  at  it.  But  it  was  one  in  a  series  of  difficulties  which, 
sooner  or  later,  would  have  worn  me  out.  They  were  de- 
termined that  numbers  of  Japanese  laborers  and  mechanics 
— mostly  of  a  low  class,  but  none  the  worse,  I  dare  say,  for 
that — should  join,  each  Sunday,  in  the  musical  part  of  our 
church  service.  Now  I  truly  hope  these  converts  are  well 
meaning  people,  and  as  full  of  good  purpose  as  they  say; 
but  their  adoption  of  Christianity  does  not  make  musicians 
of  them.  They  do  not  know,  and  in  most  cases  never  can 
know,  one  tone  from  another.  To  me,  who  have  very 
strong  feelings  about  religious  music,  it  is  an  awful  mockery 
that  they  should  be  allowed  to  turn  the  service  into  such 
utter  ridicule  as  they  do,  merely  to  gratify  some  strange 
vanity  of  their  own,  or  to  indulge  a  wild  fancy  for  making 
a  senseless  noise.  It  is  profanation  to  think  that  the  Deity 
can  listen  with  approval  to  such  barbarous  uproar. 

I  fancied  that  the  young  lady  might  not  have  taken  the 
matter  so  much  to  heart  if  she  had  not  herself  been  a  mu- 
sician of  no  mean  ability,  and  thoroughly  qualified  to  direct, 


144  YONE  SANTO: 

without  interference,  the  performances  of  the  choir.  But 
her  objections  were  sensible  enough,  as  might  be  attested  by 
any  listener  to  the  vocal  burlesques  which  she  condemned. 

"  You  are  quite  right,"  I  said.  "  Martin  Luther  pro- 
tested against  devoting  good  music  to  the  devil.  He  would 
have  flung  his  inkstand  at  anybody  who  said  bad  music 
was  fit  for  the  Almighty." 

"  Doctor,  it  may  not  be  a  very  solemn  subject,  but  I 
hope  you  will  not  laugh  at  it,  for  all  that." 

"  By  no  means,  my  good  young  lady;  you  will  never  find 
me  laughing  at  anything  genuinely  religious.  I  under- 
stand your  feelings,  and  respect  them;  and  I  also  under- 
stand the  proceedings  of  the  church  managers,  who  in  this 
instance  desire  to  call  attention  to  the  increased  number  of 
Japanese  in  their  congregations, — attendants  whose  sin- 
cerity, they  will  claim,  is  proved  by  their  energetic  partici- 
pation in  the  singing." 

"  Energetic,  indeed.  But  still  it  seems  curious  that  these 
rough-grained  Japanese  should  endure  the  tedium  of  a 
whole  service — that  is  "  (she  corrected  herself,  with  haste 
and  blushes),  "  it  must  be  tedium  to  f/icw — solely  for  the 
sake  of  gratifying  themselves  in  their  extraordinary  way  for 
a  few  moments,  now  and  then." 

"It  is  not  agreeable  to  break  up  your  innocent  illusions," 
I  replied;  "but  you  must  remember  there  are  many  rival 
carpenters,  shoemakers,  grooms,  applicants  for  domestic 
labor,  and  the  like,  in  this  neighborhood;  and  the  mission- 
ary corps  is  large.  Now,  one  way,  at  least,  to  secure  pat- 
ronage " — 

"Say  no  more,"  she  interrupted;  "Pray  say  no  more. 
Can  you  discover  nothing  good  to  speak  of  the  missionaries 
here,  in  Tokio,  and  those  whom  they  strive  to  convert?" 

I  was  silent. 

"  Tell  me,"  she  persisted,  have  you  not  one  friendly 
word  to  say  of  them  ?  You  would  not,  surely,  venture  to 
pronounce  against  them  all." 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  145 

"  Miss  Gibson,"  I  said,  with  as  much  earnestness  as  I 
could  command,  strongly  desiring  to  allow  no  cause  for 
suspicion  that  I  was  capable  of  sharing  a  certain  vulgar 
tendency  among  numerous  foreigners  to  revile  and  discredit 
missionary  enterprises,  "  I  will  tell  you  more  on  this  head 
than  I  have  latterly  thought  it  desirable  to  tell  any  other 
person.  During  many  of  the  years  I  have  lived  in  Japan,  I 
sought,  with  an  assiduity  I  could  hardly  make  you  real- 
ize, for  missionaries  whom  I  could  hold  in  honor,  whose 
characters  I  could  unqualifiedly  respect,  whose  methods  of 
dealing  with  the  Japanese  seemed  to  me  worthy  of  ap- 
proval. It  was  for  a  long  period  that  I  pursued  this  inves- 
tigation, with  unswerving  persistence.  My  objects  were 
not  always  such  as  you  would  sympathize  with, — at  least 
not  now;  but  I  think  they  were  disinterested  and  humane. 
I  could  have  experienced  no  gratification  equal  to  that  of 
meeting  a  few  good  men,  and  especially  a  few  good 
women,  of  your  calling,  in  whom  the  loftier  spirit  of  devo- 
tion, unselfishness,  and  willing  sacrifice  might  be  found.  It 
seemed  incredible  that  of  all  who  came  in  this  cause,  none 
should  be  conscious  of  the  broad  and  comprehensive  duties 
that  lay  before  them.  But  the  inexorable  fact  was  always 
staring  me  in  the  face." 

"  Do  you  mean  that  no  single  one  of  them  equaled  your 
hopes  and  wishes  ?  " 

"  Not  one,  Miss  Gibson,  not  one.  If  I  sometimes  thought 
I  had  encountered  a  simple,  upright,  well-meaning  soul,  I 
soon  learned  that  it  was  steeped  in  ignorance  more  befitting 
the  rudest  peasant  than  a  pretended  teacher  of  religion.  It 
is  humiliating  to  think  of  the  carelessness  and  indifference 
with  which  illiterate  men  and  women  are  sent  to  the  East 
charged  with  functions  demanding  the  highest  learning  and 
wisdom.  I  could  not  ask  cooperation  from  persons  of  this 
stamp,  or  seek  to  cooperate  with  them.  Then  there  were 
many  who  came  plainly  in  pursuit  of  gain,  and  with  no 
Other  view.  They  were  not  of  the  stock  I  wanted,  Once 


I46  YONE  SANTO  : 

or  twice,  indeed,  I  have  believed  myself  approaching  a 
point  of  contact  with  individuals  who  seemed  fashioned  in 
a  nobler  mould;  but  they  shrunk  before  such  tests  as  I  felt 
bound  to  apply,  and  their  falling  masks  revealed  the  self- 
ishness, or  cowardice,  or  conceit  which  pervaded  and  domi- 
nated them.  Hard  disappointments,  many  of  them,  for 
me.  It  may  be  that  I  demanded  greater  virtues  and  capa- 
bilities than  mankind  is  commonly  endowed  with.  I  cer- 
tainly looked  for  qualities  which  I  knew  I  could  not, 
myself,  even  approximately  supply.  But  I  must  ac- 
knowledge to  you  that  some  years  have  passed  since  I 
hopelessly  abandoned  my  efforts  to  make  friends  with 
any  missionaries,  except  those  that  come  to  do  medical 
work,  whose  studies  have  in  most  cases  enlarged  their 
understanding  and  endowed  them  with  broader  human  sym- 
pathies. Those  who  appear  here  as  clergymen  only  have 
long  ceased  to  attract  my  observation.  It  may  therefore 
be  true  that  a  different  and  worthier  class  has  taken  the 
place  of  those  among  whose  ranks  I  searched  in  vain.  I 
can  only  say  that,  in  my  time  of  exploration,  I  never 
caught  a  glimpse  of  success.  The  good  material  with 
which  I  might  have  wished  to  ally  myself  was  completely 
nullified  by  the  superstition,  ignorance,  prejudice,  vanity, 
and  presumptuous  arrogance  that  stood  in  the  way.  You 
are  a  later  observer  than  I.  You  can  say  whether  the  same 
obstacles  still  bar  the  way  to  substantial  missionary 
progress." 

In  her  turn>  Miss  Gibson  was  silent. 

"Let  us  hope,  then,"  I  added,  "that  a  change  has  taken 
place.  But  it  is  too  late,  in  any  case,  for  me  to  begin  my 
labors  over  again.  They  must  be  resumed  by  other 
hands,  if  at  all." 

We  were  now  drawing  near  Santo's  work-shop  and  dwell- 
ing. 

"  Reflect,  now,"  said  I;  "  if  you  once  go  in,  you  break  with 
the  Philipsons  for  good  and  all.  They  will  never  forgive  you." 

"  I  will  go,"  she  answered. 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  147 

"  I  should  be  sorry  to  persuade  you  to  any  action  which 
might  injure  your  prospects,  and  this  may  be  serious." 

"Have  no  fear,"  she  rejoined;  "1  risk  nothing.  lam 
not  irrevocably  bound  to  them,  like  most  of  the  others.  I 
am  only  a  volunteer, — quite  free  to  leave  and  return  home, 
if  I  find  the  work  distasteful." 

"  Ah,  then  you  are  safe.  And  so,  you  will  soon  be  going 
home.  Poor  Yone  !  " 

"Thank  you  for  saying  that,  Doctor;  but  I  am  not  sure 
about  going  home,  just  yet." 

"My  child,"  said  I,  unconsciously  adopting  the  paternal 
style  of  address,  and  not  exactly  understanding  why  she 
began  to  laugh,  "this  is  not  the  place  for  you.  The  real 
work  that  remains  to  be  done  in  Japan  is  to  emancipate  the 
women  and  give  them  their  rights,  or  a  satisfactory  share  of 
them.  All  other  tasks  that  women  can  take  part  in  are 
now  fairly  provided  for.  Indeed,  the  Japanese  have  no 
claim  to  look  for  any  more  outside  help,  until  they  do  jus- 
tice to  their  own  wives  and  sisters." 

"Why  cannot  a  woman  like  myself  aid  in  bringing  that 
about  ? " 

"No,  no;  not  for  the  present.  The  reform  will  hardly 
begin  in  my  days.  The  most  I  hope  is  to  see  the  founda- 
tions laid.  Your  youth  can  be  given  to  other  things, — per- 
haps to  similar  undertakings  at  home.  When  you  reach  a 
sturdy  old  age  like  mine,  you  may  come  again,  and  take  on 
with  the  enterprise  as  it  stands  then." 

"Doctor,"  she  said  saucily,  as  we  entered  the  gate,  "I 
do  believe  you  want  to  do  it  all  with  your  own  hands,  and 
get  the  whole  of  the  glory  yourself." 

We  were  received  by  Santo,  who  had  seen  us  drawing 
near,  and  was  ready  with  gruff  greeting  at  his  threshold. 

"  You  have  come  for  Yone,"  he  said,  as  soon  as  the  or- 
dinary salutations  had  been  exchanged.  "  I  will  lead  you 
to  her.  It  is  a  new  place,  Doctor-san;  you  cannot  find  the 
way.  The  house  is  turned  upside  down.  I  do  not  like  it 
at  all." 


143  YONE  SANTO: 

He  guided  us  through  a  passage  with  which  I  was  unac- 
quainted, and  drew  aside  the  door  of  a  little  chamber,  at 
one  end  of  which  Yone  lay  upon  a  bed  of  cushions.  Ex- 
cusing herself  for  not  rising,  she  begged  us  to  occupy  a 
couple  of  cane  chairs,  to  which  she  pointed  with  an  air  of 
peculiar  satisfaction,  at  the  same  time  inviting  our  attention, 
by  a  significant  glance,  to  the  unusual  adornments  by  which 
she  was  surrounded.  A  table,  covered  with  English  books, 
was  within  her  reach;  a  tiny  desk  stood  in  a  corner;  pic- 
tures hung  upon  the  walls  in  what  looked  like  profusion 
for  a  Japanese  interior,  and  a  mirror,  ingeniously  set  in  a 
silken  frame,  reflected  a  variety  of  dainty  objects  seldom 
gathered  together  in  an  Oriental  dwelling. 

"  What  part  of  the  world  are  we  in  ? "  I  exclaimed,  per- 
ceiving that  a  recognition  of  all  this  grandeur  was  ex- 
pected. 

"  My  husband  allows  it,"  she  remarked,  sedately;  "  I 
have  not  thanked  him  enough.  Indeed,  he  gives  me  no 
opportunity.  Will  it  please  you  to  enter,  danna-san  ?  "  she 
added,  addressing  him  directly. 

He  stood  at  the  entrance,  a  statue  of  stolidity,  his  coun- 
tenance exhibiting  various  shades  of  doubt,  distrust,  and 
defiance.  For  a  dull  man,  he  certainly  possessed  a  marvel- 
ous faculty  of  twisting  his  features  into  combinations  of 
disagreeable  expression.  Before  responding  to  Yone's  in- 
vitation, he  cast  his  eyes  about  the  room,  surveying  the  de- 
tails with  what  I  conceived  to  be  an  air  of  scornful  supe- 
riority. 

"  Where  shall  I  put  myself  ? "  he  demanded.  "  Do  I 
look  like  a  man  who  has  learned  to  dance  among  eggs  ? 
If  I  go  in,  I  shall  break  something.  It  is  like  a  foreign  fur- 
niture shop.  I  suppose  there  was  never  such  foolishness 
since  the  gods  were  on  the  earth." 

"  If  you  object  " — I  began,  nettled  at  his  manner. 

"  He  does  not  object,"  Yone  interposed,  hastily.  "  If  he 
objected,  it  would  not  be  so,  Why,  Doctor,  is  not  that 
easy  to  see  ? " 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  149 

As  I  was  not  ready  with  an  answer,  she  looked  inquir- 
ingly at  her  other  visitor,  between  whom  and  herself  some 
signal  of  intelligent  appreciation  was  probably  exchanged. 
It  was  too  subtle  for  my  capacity,  but  I  observed  that  the 
girls  smiled  confidentially,  without  a  shadow  of  annoyance 
at  Santo's  roughness.  When  I  turned,  in  some  bewilder- 
ment, to  speak  with  him  again,  he  had  disappeared,  and  his 
heavy  footsteps  presently  resounded,  as  he  hobbled  away, 
along  the  dark  corridors. 

"Joy  go  with  you  !  "  I  cried;  at  which  the  young  folks 
smiled  more  contentedly  than  before. 

"  You  take  things  very  amiably,"  I  grumbled. 

"  There  is  nothing  to  complain  of,  Doctor  Charwell,"  said 
Miss  Gibson, — "nothing  at  all." 

Since  they  saw  no  cause  of  offense,  it  was  not  for  me  to 
incite  sedition.  Giving  heed  to  the  serious  purpose  of  my 
call,  I  speedily  discovered  that  Yone  had  fallen  into  a  sad 
state  of  depression  and  feebleness.  She  had  not  left  her 
couch  upon  the  matting  -since  her  return  home,  two  days 
before,  and  this  unusual  suspension  of  her  active  pursuits 
proved  the  severity  of  the  shock  she  had  undergone.  But 
the  coming  of  Miss  Gibson  was  a  better  remedy  than  I 
could  have  provided  for  her.  These  two  young  persons 
were  in  closer  acquaintanceship  with  one  another  than  I 
had  imagined,  their  meetings  at  the  school  having  been 
frequent  and  their  association  almost  intimate.  For  a  little 
while  I  watched,  with  unspeakable  gratification,  Yone's  re- 
viving glow  under  the  cheering  influence,  and  then,  leaving 
them  together,  I  went  into  the  boat-yard,  where  Santo  was 
superintending  his  laborers  with  seventy  of  language  and 
gesture.  It  was  his  pleasure  to  assume  a  bearing  of  ex- 
treme and  indiscriminate  bad  humor. 

"This  is  a  fine  piece  of  work,"  he  shouted,  as  I  ap- 
proached him.  "  Where  is  the  young  American  man,  and 
what  am  I  to  do  with  that  ?  "  He  pointed  to  the  unfinished 
boat. 


150  YONE  SANTO: 

"Well,  Santo,  the  American  young  man  has  gone  to  visit 
his  mother  in  China,  like  a  dutiful  son;  and  the  boat  is  to 
be  finished  with  all  the  taste  and  skill  and  experienced 
judgment  which  distinguish  the  products  of  Santo  Yori- 
kichi's  renowned  manufactory." 

"Yes,  that  is  very  ticklesome  to  the  ear;  but  who  is  to 
pay  for  it,  I  should  like  to  know  ? " 

"  He  is  to  pay  for  it,  Santo  of  the  strong  and  dexterous 
right  hand;  he  is  to  pay  for  it,  through  me,  your  humble 
servant,  in  good  paper  money,  which  will  be  very  tickle- 
some  to  the  fingers." 

"  But  he  kept  ordering  alterations,  which  will  make  the 
bill  very  high.  Do  you  know  that  ?  " 

"  I  know  it  very  well.     Everything  will  be  paid." 

"  He  is  a  strange  man,  that  young  American  man.  I  do 
not  understand  him." 

"  As  you  say,  Santo  Yorikichi,  he  is  strange,  and  prob- 
ably it  is  not  worth  while  trying  to  understand  him.  There- 
fore, the  less  we  say  about  him,  the  better  for  us  all.  But 
everything  will  be  paid,  and  if  he  does  not  return  to  take 
the  boat,  I  shall  know  what  to  do  with  it.  '  So  I  hope  you 
are  satisfied." 

"  No,  I  am  not  at  all  satisfied,"  he  retorted.  "  There  is 
my  wife.  She  has  been  sick  for  a  week,  and  the  house  is 
going  to  destruction." 

"Pardon  me,  she  has  been  sick  only  two  days;  which  I 
know  particularly  well,  because  I  am  her  doctor.  As  to 
the  house,  it  is,  as  usual,  the  neatest  and  cleanliest  house 
in  the  empire  of  the  Rising  Sun." 

"  Why  should  she  be  sick,  even  for  two  days  ?  It  is  the 
most  ridiculous  thing." 

"  Of  course,  of  course,  Santo;  sickness  is  always  a  ridicu- 
lous thing.  You  were  sick  yourself,  you  know,  desperately 
sick,  not  very  long  ago,  and  nothing  could  be  more  ridicu- 
lous than  you  were  then." 

The  cross-grained  fellow  gave  no  other  response  than 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  151 

one  of  his  comprehensive  grunts,  charged,  in  his  estimation, 
with  as  much  meaning  as  a  nod  of  the  approved  Lord  Bur- 
leigh  pattern.  On  this  occasion  it  appeared  to  signify  that 
while  it  might  be  perfectly  legitimate  and  defensible  that 
men  should  sometimes  fail  and  droop  in  health,  no  justifi- 
cation could  be  pleaded  for  similar  eccentricity  on  the  part 
of  women. 

"Well,  she  is  sick,  Santo;  and  she  must  have  rest  and 
change  of  some  sort.  Don't  interrupt  me;  I  say  she  must. 
Now  I  know  a  party  that  is  going  to  Hakone  and  there- 
about, and  Yone  can  go  with  them.  She  talks  English  ex- 
cellently." 

"  And  what  good  is  that  to  me  ? "  said  this  pillar  of 
contumacy. 

"  Why,  she  will  be  paid,  no  doubt;  you  know  she  always 
is." 

"  I  know  she  is  not  paid  much,  and  I  know  she  always 
wants  half  the  money  for  children's  reading  books,  or  med- 
icine for  strangers." 

"This  time,"  I  urged,  "she  shall  have  double  payment; 
and  I  guarantee  that  she  shall  not  ask  for  more  than  one- 
third  of  the  money  for  the  frivolous  and  unwarrantable  pur- 
poses which  you  mention." 

"I  do  not  understand,"  he  persisted,  "why  you  all  make 
so  much  disturbance  about  my  wife.  Look  at  the  Ameri- 
can miss, — what  is  it  to  her  ?  I  might  be  on  my  back  sev- 
eral tens  of  weeks,  and  nobody  would  be  anxious  for  me,  or 
cross  the  Sumida  to  inquire." 

"You  are  entirely  wrong,  Santo,  my  friend,  it  is  un- 
doubtedly out  of  respect  to  you  that  so  many  persons  are 
interested  in  your  wife.  And  you  should  consider  that  you 
might,  indeed,  fall  ill  again.  What  would  happen  to  you, 
in  that  case  ?  Yone  is  in  no  condition  to  take  care  of  you, 
as  she  did  before.  On  your  own  account,  you  had  better 
let  her  go  and  get  well." 

"  There  is  reason  in  that.     I  do  not  altogether  like  it,  but 


152  YONE  SANTO: 

I  will  let  her  go.  I  should  get  no  good  of  her,  anyway, 
lying  idle  there,"  he  grunted,  in  what  might  be  the  tone  of 
a  deeply  injured  and  reluctantly  resigned  bear. 


XXI. 

AMONG  THE  WOODS  AND  MOUNTAINS. 

THE  party  of  which  I  had  spoken,  in  a  sudden  inspira- 
tion, was  intended  to  consist  of  no  others  but  Miss  Gibson, 
Yone,  and  myself.  I  found  less  difficulty  in  putting  it  into 
practical  shape  than  I  had  expected,  since  Miss  Gibson  was 
not  sorry  to  have  a  reason  for  abruptly  leaving  her  asso- 
ciates without  apparent  ill-will,  and  Yone  needed  no  per- 
suasions to  cause  her  to  cling  with  tender  affection  to  the 
first  foreign  friend  of  her  sex,  and  proximately  near  her 
age,  whom  she  had  ever  known. 

In  the  lovely  groves  and  valleys  which  lie  at  the  base  of 
the  Hakone  hills,  my  poor  child  passed  the  first  hours 
of  peaceful  and  unbroken  enjoyment  she  had  ever  known. 
Miss  Gibson,  too,  was  delighted  with  her  hew  companion, 
and  set  herself  to  playing  a  semi-maternal  part  with  im- 
mense enthusiasm.  For  a  beginning,  she  insisted  that 
Yone  should  lay  aside  the  garments  of  her  people,  as  being 
cumbersome  and  ill-suited  to  intricate  sylvan  explorations, 
and  invested  her  with  a  loose  robe  of  her  own;  protesting 
that  the  transformation  was  in  the  highest  degree  improv- 
ing. Convenient  it  certainly  was,  but  harmoniously  becom- 
ing it  did  not  appear  to  me,  until  the  progressive  American 
wrought  a  more  complete  change  by  abolishing  the  elabo- 
rate capillary  structure  which  surmounted  her  friend's 
head.  Intending  at  first  to  replace  this  by  a  foreign 
coiffure,  she  was  restrained  by  the  sight  of  Yone's  de- 
scending rush  of  dark  hair,  which  fell  quite  to  her  knees, 
and  enveloped  her  like  a  mantle.  Then  the  decree  went 
forth  that,  during  the  country  sojourn  at  least,  the  wavy 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  153 

mass  should  flow  loose  and  unconfined,  without  subjection 
to  any  of  the  fetters  of  an  artificial  civilization. 

"Now,  Yone,"  said    Miss  Gibson,    "at   last  you    arc  a 
pretty  girl." 

Yone  accepted  the  eulogy  with  demure  complacency 
She  had  received  similar  assurances,  on  various  occasions, 
from  the  same  source,  so  that  the  value  of  the  qualification 
implied  by  the  words  "  at  last  "  was  not  distinctly  apparent. 
She  was  always  pleased  that  those  whom  she  liked  should 
think  her  pretty.  As  a  rule,  she  was  not  much  interested 
in  the  question  of  her  personal  appearance.  The  women 
of  Japan,  for  various  reasons,  give  less  heed  to  such  mat- 
ters than  their  sex  in  Western  communities.  The  trivial 
consideration  she  had  bestowed  upoathe  subject  probably  led 
her  to  the  conclusion  that  sfie  was  not,  in  strict  truth,  es- 
pecially comely.  It  is  next  to  certain  that  she  had  never 
been  told  so  by  any  of  her  own  race;  and,  indeed,  the  style 
which  belonged  to  her  was  not  at  all  in  accordance  with  the 
Japanese  traditional  type  of  beauty.  Even  her  hair,  which 
just  now  called  forth  Miss  Gibson's  encomium,  was  slightly 
curly, — a  defect  which  any  Japanese  girl  who  wishes  to 
think  well  of  herself  will  employ  all  sorts  of  expedients  to 
remove.  And  it  was  not  densely  black,  as  it  should  have 
been  by  the  native  standard,  but  in  certain  lights  exhibited 
the  reddish  under-tinge  which  so  often  puzzles  foreign  ob- 
servers. As  to  her  features  and  the  outlines  of  her  face, 
she  conceived  that  it  was  necessary  only  to  compare  them 
with  the  ideals  of  feminine  loveliness  depicted  by  skilled 
Japanese  artists,  to  discover  that  her  endowments  were  not 
of  a  kind  to  merit  approbation.  On  the  other  hand,  she 
knew  that  her  friends  from  afar  must  find  some  quality  of 
fairness  in  her,  as  otherwise  they  would  not  put  themselves 
to  the  trouble  of  saying  so;  and  she  was  frankly  gratified 
that  anything  about  her  was  attractive  to  them.  If  we 
really  liked  it,  she  would  be  delighted  to  wear  Marian's  dress, 
and  let  her  hair  swing  free,  until  we  should  return  to  re- 


154  YONE  SANTO: 

gions  where  conventional  propriety  exercised  its  critical 
sway. 

It  was  with  no  superficial  purpose  that  Miss  Gibson  de- 
sired to  effect  these  changes  of  external  appearance.  She 
wished  to  make  use  of  every  expedient  by  which  the 
afflicted  girl's  thoughts  might  be  turned  from  the  channels 
in  which  they  had  recently  run,  and  to  divert  her,  by  vari- 
ous devices,  from  the  contemplation  of  her  past  identity. 
The  energies  of  the  zealous  American  were  presently  de- 
voted to  awakening  new  interests  in  Yone's  mind,  and  per- 
suading her  to  look  upon  pure  recreation  and  amusement 
as  entitled  to  occasional  consideration.  In  course  of  time 
she  succeeded  in  developing  a  sense  of  humor  in  her  com- 
panion, who,  I  presume,  had  never  in  her  life  before  emitted 
a  hearty  laugh,  and  who,  beirfg  incited  thereto  by  her  in- 
structress, first  fell  into  reflective  astonishment  at  finding 
herself  capable  of  such  demonstrative  mirth,  and  subse- 
quently yielded  unreservedly  to  the  merry  contagion,  her 
voice  ringing  lightly  through  the  woods,  like  the  soft-toned 
bell-bird  of  the  Japanese  wilds. 

But  she  could  not  be  led  to  forego  entirely  the  pursuits 
for  which  nature  seemed  to  have  designed  her.  Wherever 
we  wandered,  she  found  means  of  making  herself  ac- 
quainted with  objects  upon  which  to  lavish  thoughtful  and 
kindly  attention.  Many  of  her  busiest  hours  were  passed 
in  the  village  schools,  and  there  was  scarcely  an  afternoon 
when  she  was  not  called  upon  to  administer  solace  to  in- 
valid pilgrims,  who  were  quite  as  eager  to  secure  a  listener 
to  the  recital  of  their  woes  as  to  submit  themselves  to  the 
healing  influences  of  the  baths.  As  we  made  the  round  of 
the  watering-places  it  was  not  long  before  Yone  came  to  be 
regarded  as  the  informal  adviser  and  consoler  of  each  little 
sojourning  community;  and  I  was  sometimes  under  the  ne- 
cessity of  organizing  excursive  expeditions,  solely  to  get 
her  beyond  the  range  of  the  popular  sanitary  resorts,  and 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  155 

to  free  her  from  importunities  which  she  was  wholly  in- 
capable of  resisting. 

The  days  went  blithely  by,  and  we  saw  with  delight  that 
as  our  patient  gathered  bodily  vigor  and  animation,  her 
spirits  rose  to  an  even  placidity  which  encouraged  us  in 
bright  hopes  for  the  future.  I  think  that  she  was  more  clearly 
aware  of  our  solicitude  than  we  then  supposed,  and  that 
some  part  of  the  vivacity  which  gratified  us  may  have  been 
assumed;  but  that  was  all  to  her  advantage,  in  a  way,  since 
the  consciousness  of  affording  pleasure  was  sure  to  act  upon 
her  as  a  direct  restorative.  She  enlivened  our  intervals  of 
rest  and  leisure,  often  making  them  exuberantly  merry  by 
describing  her  personal  adventures  among  the  rustic  popu- 
lace and  her  interviews  with  health-seeking  tourists,  whose 
selfish  garrulity  did  not  by  any  means  impose  upon  her 
good  sense,  though  she  was  always  tolerant  of  even  their 
imaginary  tribulations.  Sometimes  she  had  matter  of 
graver  interest  with  which  to  entertain  us,  for  the  region  in 
which  we  traveled  was  rich  in  historical  associations,  and 
enabled  her  to  recall  many  a  tale  of  mediaeval  gallantry  and 
daring.  With  all  her  gentleness,  she  was  not  insensible  to 
the  warlike  glory  which  was  once  the  revelry  of  her  race, 
and  the  flash  of  her  eye,  the  thrill  of  her  voice,  as  she  re- 
peated the  ancient  legends  of  heroism  and  devotion,  told 
us  that  in  the  depths  of  her  quiet  little  spirit  there  were 
still  some  sparks  of  the  fire  that  had  burned  in  the  souls 
of  her  ancestors. 

While  in  the  vein  of  martial  reminiscence,  she  narrated, 
one  evening,  as  we  sat  in  the  garden  of  an  old  inn  at  Do- 
gashima,  the  story  which  for  nearly  three  hundred  years 
had  been  the  pride  of  her  family,  and  in  which  the  valor- 
ous traditions  of  her  forefathers  had  culminated.  Through 
many  centuries  the  house  of  Yamada  had  held  conspicuous 
rank,  its  foundation  and  rise  being  authentically  recorded 
in  the  remote  ages  preceding  Nara.  It  was  from  an  off- 
shoot of  this  ancient  stock  that  our  Yone  was  directly  de- 


156  YONE  SANTO: 

scended.  Her  own  pedigree  dated  from  the  memorable 
battle  of  Sekigahara,  in  1600,  when  the  privilege  of  cre- 
ating a  new  line  was  conferred  upon  a  cadet  of  the  name, 
in  reward  for  an  act  of  precocious  bravery.  The  Yamada 
of  that  day,  a  captain  of  prowess,  on  setting  out  at  night- 
fall for  the  field  upon  which  the  fortunes  of  the  illustrious 
chieftain  lyeyasu  were  to  be  finally  established,  left  his 
youngest  son  at  a  village  hard  by,  in  charge  of  the  few  re- 
tainers who  could  be  spared  from  the  coming  engagement. 
The  lad  had  pleaded  for  permission  to  follow  and  observe 
the  conflict,  if  he  might  not  join  in  it;  but  his  tender  years 
— he  was  but  thirteen — forbade  the  expectation  that  he 
could  possibly  be  of  service,  and  made  it  probable  that 
his  presence  would  be  an  incumbrance.  His  entreaties 
were  disregarded,  but  as  a  solace  to  his  disappointment  he 
was  authorized  to  proceed  cautiously,  on  the  following  day, 
starting  after  the  noon  meal,  to  a  point  at  which  he  might 
hope  to  meet  his  sire,  returning  victorious. 

In  the  early  hours  of  the  eventful  morning,  the  neighbor- 
hood was  excited  by  divergent  rumors  from  the  scene  of 
strife,  but  as  the  sun  ascended,  reports  of  unvaried  dis- 
aster began  to  spread  dismay  among  the  adherents  of  the 
Tokugawa  champion.  When  these  grew  more  darkly  omi- 
nous, the  child's  anxiety  became  uncontrollable.  With  all 
his  youthful  energy  he  urged  the  little  body  of  attendants 
to  anticipate  the  time  of  departure,  and  to  advance  with 
him  at  once  to  the  fighting-ground.  Their  inclination  was 
as  keen  as  his  own,  but  the  word  of  the  master  was  their 
law,  and  they  dared  not  stir.  Still  the  portentous  tidings 
continued  to  expand,  until,  in  desperation,  the  boy  flung 
out  reproaches  and  taunts,  accusing  his  loyal  servitors  of 
selfish  indifference,  and  inflaming  them  with  vehement  ap- 
peals to  the  loftier  sense  of  honor,  beside  which  the  merit 
of  tame  obedience  was  a  dull  and  spiritless  virtue.  He  pic- 
tured their  lord  in  an  extremity  of  peril  from  which  a  single 
bold  stroke  might  rescue  him,  and  warned  them  that  if 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  157 

calamity  should  result  from  their  inaction  the  shame  would 
rest  upon  them  and  their  memory  forever.  At  last  his 
passionate  prayers  prevailed.  Mounting  their  horses  in 
haste,  they  rode  forth  with  shouts  of  fierce  acclamation; 
and  long  before  the  tide  of  combat  had  finally  turned,  the 
chivalrous  stripling  had  led  them  to  the  heart  of  the  fray, 
where,  with  a  silent  obeisance,  he  placed  his  small  reserve  at 
his  father's  disposal. 

The  relief  came  at  a  critical  moment,  when  the  strength  of 
half  a  dozen  fresh  men-at-arms  was  eagerly  welcomed.  An 
hour  later,  the  enemies  of  Iveyasu  were  flying  in  disorder  to 
their  strongholds,  and  numbers  of  his  officers  were  direct- 
ing the  division  of  the  spoils,  and  distributing  rewards 
among  their  deserving  followers.  In  the  centre  of  a  som- 
bre group  stood  Yamada,  his  countenance  wearing  an  ex- 
pression of  sorrowful  dejection,  in  place  of  the  proud  ex- 
ultation that  had  lighted  it  in  the  moment  of  triumph. 
Before  him  knelt  his  son  and  the  four  survivors  of  the 
party  who  had  come  to  aid  him  in  his  greatest  need.  To 
them  he  owed  perhaps  his  life,  and  assuredly  the  augmented 
glory  which  the  issue  of  that  day  would  bring  to  his  house. 
But  the  rule  of  domestic  discipline  was  not  less  rigorous,  in 
that  stern  age,  than  the  military  law  which  governed  public 
actions.  Both  had  been  violated  when  the  parental  in- 
junction was  set  at  naught.  The  fame  of  the  youthful 
hero  and  his  gallant  band  would  descend  to  the  latest  gen- 
erations, but  their  bodies  must  be  sacrificed  to  the  immuta- 
ble decree.  They  had  known,  even  while  starting  upon  their 
errand  of  devotion,  that,  whatever  service  they  might  ren- 
der their  master,  they  were  riding  to  their  own  doom.  Death 
thus  encountered,  and  inflicted  by  their  own  hands,  had  no 
terror  for  them.  It  was  inevitable,  and  they  asked  only  for 
authority  to  immolate  themselves  upon  the  field  of  valor, 
that  their  renown  might  be  mingled  everlastingly  with  that 
of  the  mighty  victory.  Already  the  swords  were  bared,  when 
a  messenger  dashec}  into  the  circle,  bringing  orders  from  the 


158  YONE  SANTO: 

supreme  commander  to  arrest  the  proceedings.  Seated  on 
his  camp  chair,  at  a  little  distance,  and  exchanging  pleas- 
antries with  the  nobles,  as  was  his  habit  after  each  success- 
ful contest,  the  conqueror  of  all  Japan  had  caught  the 
story  as  it  flew  from  mouth  to  mouth,  and,  with  the  impul- 
sive generosity  that  nobly  distinguished  his  character,  re- 
solved to  interpose  his  fiat  against  the  exaction  of  a  penalty 
which,  though  demanded  by  conventional  usage,  he  had 
the  undoubted  power  to  remit.  At  his  command  the  harsh 
ordinance  was  suspended,  and  it  was  proclaimed  that  the 
four  samurai  should  be  held  guiltless  of  the  sin  of  insubor- 
dination; while  the  daring  boy  was  further  distinguished, 
after  the  manner  of  the  times,  by  the  award  of  a  separate 
crest,  and  by  elevation  to  independent  knighthood.  From 
this  incident  sprang  the  secondary  branch  of  the  family,  whose 
sole  remaining  representative  was  now  our  gentle  friend. 

XXII. 

ONLY    A    WOMAN. 

"  LOOK  at  her  !  "  cried  Miss  Gibson,  as  Yone  stood  erect 
in  the  moonlight,  her  whole  aspect  and  bearing  animated  in 
an  unusual  degree  by  the  emotions  which  her  recital  had 
kindled.  "  Look  at  her  !  She  wants  only  a  suit  of  armor 
to  be  the  living  image  of  the  young  cavalier,  I  do  believe." 

"  You  must  not  say  that,"  Yone  objected,  in  a  tone  from 
which  all  the  vibrant  resonance  was  suddenly  banished,  and 
smiling  in  deprecation.  "  I  am  only  a  woman." 

"  Only  a  woman,  indeed  !  And  what  am  I,  Madam,  if  you 
please  ?" 

"  You,  Marian  ?  Oh,  it  is  different.  You  are  an  Ameri- 
can. If  I  were  like  you  " — 

"Listen  to  her,  Doctor,"  laughed  the  cheerful  Bostonian; 
"  it  sounds  vastly  like  ambition,  that  little  '  if.'  The  world 
is  moving  swiftly  in  this  part  of  Asia." 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  159 

"Ambition,"  repeated  Yone,  softly, — "may  such  a  word 
be  spoken  by  a  Japanese  girl  ?  " 

"  Why  not,  my  dear, — why  not  by  you  as  well  as  by 
me?" 

"  Can  you  ask  that  ?  If  I  felt  in  my  heart  the  wish  to 
rise  a  little  from  the  earth,  how  could  I  ever  do  it  ?  You  do 
not  know,  but  I  think  the  doctor  has  sometimes  guessed — 
for  he  sees  everything  that  is  in  me — that  I  have  had  my 
foolish  dreams,  my  pictures  of  a  real  life,  perhaps  a  useful 
life.  Yes,  I  have  thought  what  it  must  be  to  feel  truly 
free,  to  have  the  right  to  be  fearless,  to  look  for  a  path  of 
noble  action  and  try  to  walk  in  it.  You  will  not  chide  me, 
Marian;  I  know  it  is  only  my  wandering  vain  fancy.  You 
would  not  tell  it  to  anybody. 

Understanding  her  character  and  her  present  needs  bet- 
ter than  her  new  companion,  I  took  to  myself  the  privilege 
of  intruding. 

"Who  can  say?"  I  suggested,  in  a  matter-of-fact  strain. 
"Your  chance  might  come,  some  day.  If  you  wait  pa- 
tiently, we  may  find  a  way  for  you  to  do  something  of  the 
kind  you  wish." 

"Why,  Doctor,  I  shall  be  provoked  at  you  ! "  exclaimed 
Miss  Gibson,  impetuously.  "  What  is  she  doing  now,  from 
morning  till  night,  wherever  she  goes  ? " 

"Playing,  surely,"  said  Yone,  opening  her  big  eyes.  "  I 
think  of  nothing  but  to  enjoy  myself,  all  the  day  long." 

"  Playing,  you  dear  child !  "  was  the  warm  response. 
"  Oh,  Yone,  I  would  be  more  than  content  if  my  whole  ex- 
istence were  made  up  of  such  play  as  yours." 

"Yone  is  all  right,"  I  interposed;  "she  has  her  fashion 
of  amusing  herself,  and  she  is  satisfied,  I  presume.  She 
will  have  to  be  satisfied  while  we  are  here,  for  there  shall  be 
no  hard  work  if  I  can  prevent  it." 

But  now  our  patient  chose  to  be  afflicted  with  compunc- 
tions. 

"No,  Marian,  it  is  not  fair,"  she  protested.     "How  can 


160  YONE  SANTO: 

you  speak  so  of  yourself?  Think  of  where  you  are,  and 
what  you  are  here  for.  You  have  come  thousands  of  miles 
from  your  American  home  to  labor  for  the  good  of  strangers 
who  can  offer  you  nothing  in  return,  and  who  hardly  know 
how  to  thank  you.  It  is  beautiful  to  do  that.  No  woman 
of  my  country  can  have  such  happiness." 

She  reflected  a  moment,  during  which  we  said  nothing. 

"  I  am  sure  it  must  be  a  happiness,"  she  presently  contin- 
ued. "Why  should  so  many  come,  if  it  is  not  their  best 
pleasure  to  bring  wisdom  and  learning  from  distant  lands, 
and  plant  them  among  our  people  ?  And  to  give  all  so  gra- 
ciously,— what  is  there  more  noble  in  the  world  ? " 

I  did  not  care  to  oppose  her,  and  it  was  not  easy  to 
acquiesce  in  these  ardent  eulogies,  so  I  bethought  me  of 
Santo's  inarticulate  vocabulary,  and,  borrowing  his  method, 
evaded  responsibility  by  grunting, — a  form  of  expression 
not  at  all  satisfactory  to  Miss  Gibson,  who  turned  upon  me 
with  vivacity. 

"If  it  gratifies  her  to  believe  so,"  she  remonstrated, 
"  why  should  we  seek  to  harden  her  ?  For  my  part,  I  am 
thankful  that  she  is  willing  to  shut  her  eyes  to  unpleasant 
things." 

"As  you  like,"  I  replied,  not  in  the  most  lenient  humor. 
"  Let  us  make  a  Juggernaut  of  the  entire  foreign  system, 
and  prostrate  ourselves  before  it.  How  many  would  you 
wish  to  see  crushed  ?  " 

Miss  Gibson  perceived  that  further  discussion  would 
vex  me,  and  was  considerately  disposed  to  abandon  the 
topic;  but  Yone's  mind  had  long  been  overcharged,  and, 
with  a  fervor  which  betrayed  itself  in  the  unsteadiness  of 
her  utterance,  she  presently  broke  the  silence,  addressing 
her  words  more  directly  to  me. 

"  It  grieves  me,"  she  said,  "  that  any  troubles  of  mine 
should  cause  my  best  friends  to  differ,  even  in  the  smallest 
trifle.  I  would  far  rather  have  them  all  forgotten.  Noth- 
ing would  make  me  speak  of  them  but  the  fear  that  they 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  161 

are  too  harshly  remembered  by  you  who  care  so  much  for 
me.  It  is  not  right  or  respectful  to  set  my  judgment 
against  that  of  one  who  has  been  my  teacher  and  protector 
since  childhood,  and  I  should  not  dare  to  do  it  in  any  case; 
but  as  he  is  always  indulgent,  he  will  let  me  ask  if  it  may 
not  be  that  his  generous  affection — which  is  the  most  pre- 
cious of  all  his  gifts— makes  him  more  pitiful  to  me  than  he 
is  just  to  others.  These  are  bold  things  to  say;  I  am  not 
used  to  be  so  forward.  Do  I  displease  you,  Doctor?" 

"No,  child,  no;  but  this  is  holiday  time.  I  wish  you 
would  bear  that  in  mind." 

"If  I  do  not  displease  you,"  she  resumed,  "  I  hope  I  may 
tell  you  how  I  feel.  It  seems  that  you  mean  never  to  forgive 
those  persons  who  have  been  severe  tome;  that  your  anger 
will  not  die,  but  burns  stronger  every  day.  And  I  am  the 
cause.  If  it  were  another  who  had  been  unkindly  treated, 
you  would  not  be  so  unrelenting.  ' 

"Come,  Yone,"  I  expostulated;  "if  we  must  talk  about 
them,  let  us  keep  within  reason.  There  is  no  justice  in 
straining  charity  so  far  as  to  cover  the  misdeeds  of  the 
Philipsons.  That  is  my  conviction,  at  any  rate.  You'll  not 
expect  me  to  overlook  what  they  have  done." 

"That  is  not  to  be  expected,  truly,"  she  admitted. 
"Have  I  not  said  that  I  should  enter  their  house  no  more? 
It  is  a  great  support,  it  gives  me  courage  and  strength,  that 
you  do  not  overlook  what  they  have  done  to  me;  and  if  I 
ever  ceased  to  be  grateful  I  should  not  be  fit  to  live.  But  I 
am  only  one.  Though  they  did  indeed  harm  me,  they  have 
helped  others.  Many  L  know  whom  they  have  sheltered, 
and  fed,  and  taught;  lifting  them  from  ignorance  and 
wretchedness;  nursing  them  when  they  were  sick;  saving 
them  from  suffering,  sometimes  from  disgrace.  Shall  I 
make  myself  blind  to  what  has  been  done  for  them  ?  I  look 
often  with  great  wonder  at  those  ladies,  and  all  like  them, 
who  come  across  the  oceans  to  offer  comfort  and  knowl- 
edge and  happiness  to  our  poor  and  humble.  You  have  no 


1 62  YONE  SANTO: 

need  to  wonder,  you  and  Marian,  for  you  also  are  here  for 
the  same  purpose.  It  is  not  marvelous  in  your  sight,  but  it 
fills  me  with  amazement  and  reverence.  They  may  make 
mistakes;  oh,  yes,  who  is  there  that  can  be  always  sure  of 
doing  right?  I  am  not  likely  to  forget  what  has  happened 
to  me,  but  you  would  be  the  first  to  reprove  me  if  1  denied 
the  charities  and  the  blessings  that  they  have  lavished  upon 
the  children  of  my  people.  And  yet  you  will  acknowledge 
none  of  them  now,  because  I  have  been  hurt.  It  is  as  if  I 
were  to  blame." 

"  I  could  answer  you  in  many  ways,"  I  rejoined;  "but 
you  are  an  obstinate  infant,  and  I  might  never  convince 
you.  Certainly  I  shall  not  permit  you  to  convince  me. 
Cruelty  is  too  ugly  a  thing  for  me  to  countenance  or  com- 
mend." 

"  Doctor,  are  you  quite  fair  to  me  ? "  she  pleaded. 
"  That  is  so  much  more  than  I  have  ever  said  or  thought. 
To  commend  cruelty  !  I  do  not  know  what  it  means.  But 
for  many  actions  that  cannot  be  commended  it  is  possible 
to  find  excuses, — to  explain  them  in  ways  which  make  us 
judge  them  more  mercifully.  I  do  not  wish  to  oppose  you. 
It  is  not  becoming  that  I  should  doubt  anything  you  tell 
me,  but  you  must  let  me  believe  that  those  who  seem  to 
show  too  little  feeling  for  others  are  often  moved  by  their 
ideas  of  duty,  and  not  by  a  desire  to  cause  injury  or  pain." 

"  Oh,  if  you  reason  on  that  line,  you  can  trace  most  of 
the  crimes  of  history  to  false  doctrines  of  duty." 

"I  have  heard  so;  and  does  not  that  take  from  them 
their  worst  sinfulness  ?  If  duty  governs,  perhaps  there  is 
no  crime.  The  wickedness  should  be  in  the  intention." 

"  We  know  pretty  well  what  wickedness  is,  Yone,  and  we 
can  recognize  suffering  when  we  feel  it  or  see  it.  I  shall 
not  tolerate  the  notion  of  a  duty  that  goes  against  my  hon- 
est convictions." 

"  If  all  people  could  be  of  one  mind,  it  would  be  plain 
and  simple,"  she  proceeded.  "  The  laws  are  so  unlike  in 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  163 

different  cases.  Yet  if  we  may  not  trust  the  sense  of  duty, 
that  is  strong  within  us,  what  is  to  be  our  guide  ?  There 
was  Miura  Kitasaburo.  I  did  not  tell  you  about  him,  the 
story  was  growing  so  long.  He  was  the  leader  of  the  little 
guard  that  remained  with  my  ancestor,  and  who  left  the 
place  where  he  was  ordered  to  remain.  Will  you  listen  to 
what  befell  him  ?  " 

We  cried  out  against  the  suppression  of  any  part  of  the 
romantic  legend,  and  Yone  then  went  on  to  relate  the  se- 
quel:— 

"  Miura  was  a  hardy  soldier,  and  had  followed  the  flag  of 
lyeyasu  through  many  wars.  He  was'  famed  for  his  loyalty, 
and  it  was  the  habit  of  his  companions  to  measure  their 
constancy  by  his  example.  His  friends  boasted  that  he  had 
never  suffered  a  rebuke,  and  that,  of  all  the  retainers  of 
Yamada,  he  was  known  as  one  whose  faith  had  been  as 
spotless  as  his  sword  and  as  unswerving  as  the  thrust  of  his 
lance.  Until  he  rode,  that  morning,  to  Sekigahara,  his 
face  had  never  turned  from  the  line  of  strict  obedience, 
and  for  the  first  time  his  courage  fell  as  he  advanced 
to  meet  his  chief,  who  received  him  with  words  of  flaming 
anger,  casting  reproofs  at  him  for  bringing  the  last  son  of 
the  house  into  deadly  peril,  from  which  it  might  happen 
that  the  proud  family  name  would  be  blotted  from  the  roll 
of  living  samurai.  *  To  you,  Kitasaburo,'  he  cried,  *  I  gave 
the  keeping  of  my  hopes  for  future  ages;  and  you  have  be- 
trayed me  ! '  Then  Miura  knew  that  his  honor  could  be 
redeemed  only  by  a  solemn  and  terrible  expiation.  He 
fought  with  strength  and  skill,  and  all  men  saw  that  his  arm 
was  mighty  in  hastening  the  hour  of  victory.  With  a  heart 
free  from  care,  and  eager  to  repair  the  fault  that  had  been 
charged  upon  him,  he  made  ready  to  offer  his  life  in  atone- 
ment, knowing  that  he  would  thus  regain  the  favor  of  his 
lord,  and  win  back  his  place  in  the  world's  esteem.  When 
the  command  of  great  lyeyasu  came,  relieving  him  and  his 
comrades  from  the  penalty,  forbidding  them  to  shed  their 


164  YONE  SANTO: 

blood,  and  declaring  them  free  from  guilt,  he  alone 
displayed  no  satisfaction.  He  stood  apart,  like  one 
bearing  a  weight  too  heavy  for  mortal  endurance. 
Throughout  the  afternoon-  he  moved  as  if  in  a 
dark  dream, — joyless,  oppressed  with  gloom.  At  the  mo- 
ment of  his  expected  doom  his  face  had  shone  with  cheer- 
fulness and  content,  and  it  was  only  when  the  fatal  decree 
was  set  aside  that  his  spirit  drooped  and  languished.  For 
an  hour,  perhaps  more,  he  disappeared  into  seclusion;  then 
as  the  day  was  about  to  end,  he  came  to  the  front  of  his 
captain's  tent,  and  kneeling,  with  his  eyes  turned  to  the 
setting  sun,  he  bowed  his  head,  and  swiftly  passed  from 
this  earth,  to  join  the  brotherhood  of  stainless  warriors 
whose  renown  could  be  dimmed  by  no  breath  of  reproach, 
and  whose  glory  would  last  unsullied  so  long  as  upright- 
ness and  fidelity  should  claim  the  homage  of  mankind.  It 
was  an  act  of  rare  nobleness,  judged  by  the  unflinching  pre- 
cepts of  those  days.  lyeyasu  himself  came  to  gaze  upon 
the  body,  and  the  tradition  says  that  tears  were  on  his 
cheeks  as  he  stood  speechless  beside  it,  for  his  soul  was 
touched  at  the  proof  of  such  true  manliness, — as  it  was 
then  regarded.  A  scroll  was  found  fastened  to  the  dead 
man's  sword,  upon  which,  in  accordance  with  the  practice 
on  these  grave  occasions,  he  had  written  his  last  words,  in 
poetic  measure.  The  lines  have  not  the  form  of  Western 
verse,  but  this  is  their  meaning: — 

The  steel  corroded  by  poisonous  vapors  is  cleansed  with  the  blood  of  re- 
pentance. 
Let  the  rust  of  a  moment  be  forgotten  in  the  lustre  of  a  thousand  ages. 

Thus,  in  giving  up  his  existence,  the  sturdy  soldier  left  to  his 
descendants  a  legacy  which  they  have  never  ceased  to  cher- 
ish as  their  most  glorious  possession.  The  name  of 
Yamada,  which  is  my  title  to  respect  in  my  own  province, 
had  no  surer  foundation  of  merit  than  that  of  the  more 
lowly  born  clansmen  who  served  our  house  through  all  the 
years  of  peace,  until  the  great  earthquake  of  change  came, 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  165 

a  little  after  my  birth-time,  and  the  old  ties  of  fellowship 
and  vassalage  were  destroyed.  While  the  feudal  beliefs 
lingered,  it  was  a  custom  in  our  part  of  Owari  to  connect 
my  family  with  the  remembrances  of  daring  bravery  which 
belonged  to  the  past;  and  Miura's  was  associated  with  the 
sentiment  of  staunch  and  steadfast  duty." 

"Thank  you  for  the  tale,  Yone,"  I  said,  when  she  had  fin- 
ished. u  These  recollections  of  old  Japan  give  us  plenty  of 
matter  for  meditation.  Are  we  to  apply  the  moral  to  suit 
ourselves  ? " 

"  It  is  only  that  the  influence  of  duty  is  too  powerful  for 
any  of  us  to  resist.  In  the  sight  of  foreigners  the  conduct 
of  Miura  would  seem  extravagant  and  strained,  and  even 
among  my  countrymen  the  spirit  which  prompted  it  is  said 
to  be  fading  away.  Nevertheless,  it  was  the  highest  chiv- 
alry three  centuries  ago,  and  it  will  be  long  before  the 
principle  is  wholly  forgotten.  The  message  which  the 
faithful  samurai  left  did  much  to  mould  the  character  of 
those  who  succeeded  him.  The  sword,  which  they  have 
sacredly  guarded,  has  been  their  symbol  of  integrity  and 
devotion.  I  have  myself  known  them  to  put  it  to  fearful 
uses,  in  preservation  of  the  family  honor.  No  one  has 
questioned  the  motives  of  their  acts,  and  no  suspicion  of  an 
unworthy  purpose  has  fallen  upon  them,  yet  I  have  heard 
them  condemned  for  carrying  their  convictions  of  what  is 
right  and  needful  to  tragical  extremities.  I  am  an  ignorant 
child;  I  have  moved  in  narrow  circles;  my  experience  has 
no  value.  I  can  only  think,  and  think  again.  I,  too,  must 
hearken  to  the  bidding  of  my  conscience,  and  submit  to  its 
instructions.  Then,  tell  me,  am  I  to  say  that  others  whom 
I  meet  in  my  little  world  are  less  honest  or  true,  or  sincere 
than  I  ?  Would  you  be  content  with  me  if  this  were  my 
belief  ?  Dear  Doctor,  you  are  learned  and  wise,  and  I  look 
to  you  for  the  laws  that  rule  my  life;  but  it  will  be  an 
affliction  if  you  gainsay  me  in  this,  for  I  do  not  feel  that  I 
can  here  be  wrong." 


1 66  YONE  SANTO. 

Her  voice  fell  as  she  uttered  these  last  words,  and,  for 
many  minutes  after,  no  sound  but  the  gathering  murmurs 
of  the  autumn  night  followed  her  pleading,  tremulous 
tones.  I  did  not  attempt  to  answer  her,  I  could  not.  The 
faint  rustle  of  the  forest  trees,  the  ripple  of  hurrying 
streams,  the  hum  of  the  busy  insects,  the  plaintive  breath- 
ing of  the  winds,  all  the  intense  and  thrilling  whispers  of 
the  wilderness,  seemed,  in  my  softened  imagination,  to 
echo  and  prolong  the  tender  human  appeal  with  touching 
and  persuasive  eloquence.  Miss  Gibson,  who  had  taken 
but  little  part  in  the  conversation,  rose  without  speaking, 
and  folded  her  companion's  slender  figure  in  her  arms.  It 
was  with  a  strange  mingling  of  emotions  that  I  at  length 
roused  myself  to  give  the  reply  which  was  awaited. 

"  Let  it  pass,  Yone.  If  I  think  you  are  wrong  I  shall 
not  try  to  change  you.  Your  own  way  is  the  best — for  you; 
and  for  me  it  does  not  matter.  Follow  your  way,  my  dear, 
while  you  can.  All  I  wish  is  that  you  shall  be  happy.  You 
know  that  we  depend  upon  that  a  great  deal,  Miss  Gibson 
and  I.  You  must  not  lead  yourself  into  excitement  and 
worry, — that  disturbs  me.  You  are  discomposed  because 
you  fear  I  am  tempted  to  be  revengeful  with  the  Philip- 
sons.  Well,  I  promise  that  I  will  do  nothing  in  revenge, 
either  on  your  account  or  mine.  That  ought  to  satisfy  you, 
and,  in  return,  you  will  drive  away  all  your  anxious  thoughts 
as  quickly  and  completely  as  you  can." 

She  came  and  knelt  by  my  side. 

"  I  was  afraid,  dear  Doctor,  that  I  had  made  you  offended 
with  me,  and  now  you  are  more  kind  than  ever  before.  I 
think  no  other  woman  in  the  world  has  had  such  friends  as 
I  have,  in  you  and  Marian.'' 

"When  I  first  met  Doctor  Charwell,"  said  Miss  Gibson, 
in  little  broken  fragments  of  phrases,  striving  with  very 
imperfect  success  to  be  firm  and  coherent,  u  when  he  told 
me  of  you,  Yone,  what  you  were,  what  I  should  find  in 
you,  what  I  should  learn  from  you,  I  did  not  dream  how 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  167 

speedily  and  surely  his  prophecy  would  be  fulfilled.  He 
has  been  my  best  friend,  too,  in  this  land,  for  he  has  given 
me  you,  to  love  me  better  than  I  deserve,  and  to  be  loved 
with  all  my  humble  heart,  my  own  true  darling." 

XXIII. 

YONE    AT    PLAY. 

AMONG  the  numerous  villages  which  glisten  and  sparkle 
upon  the  breasts  of  the  Hakone  hills,  Miyanoshita  claims 
distinction  as  the  most  popular  of  holiday  resorts.  Acci- 
dent, rather  than  superiority  of  natural  charms,  has  given 
it  this  preeminence;  for,  although  the  entire  region  is  so 
bounteously  endowed  that  no  single  spot  is  without  its 
share  of  loveliness,  the  attractions  of  the  prosperous  water- 
ing-place are  by  many  degrees  less  rare  and  exquisite  than 
those  of  its  more  modest  neighbors.  Fashion,  however, 
has  favored  it  with  constant  and  steady  approval,  and  the 
preference  awarded  it  by  dignitaries  of  the  court  has  con- 
ferred a  social  lustre  to  which  none  of  its  rivals  has 
attained.  The  season  was  early  when  we  arrived  at  this 
centre  of  activity  and  gayety,  yet  we  found  the  place 
thronged  with  visitors  of  all  grades  and  nationalities.  In 
the  spacious  and  showy  European  hotel,  divers  phases  of 
Western  idleness  were  plentifully  represented.  The  state 
apartments  of  the  honjin,  or  leading  Japanese  inn,  were 
occupied  by  a  lady  whose  rank  and  exceptional  position  in 
the  imperial  household  were  regarded  by  the  foreign  circle 
as  inviting  and  authorizing  the  most  intrusive  scrutiny. 
The  retinue  of  this  lofty  patroness  was  distributed  among 
the  first-class  lodging-houses,  and  the  humbler  grade  of 
taverns,  of  which  the  hamlet  is  chiefly  composed,  were  so 
overcrowded  that  we  were  glad  to  take  refuge  in  a  quiet 
Buddhist  temple,  from  the  privacy  of  which  we  were  en- 
abled, for  a  while,  to  gaze  with  the  interest  of  unconcerned 


168  YONE  SANTO  / 

spectators  upon  the  human  kaleidoscope  that  briskly  re- 
volved before  us. 

But  only  for  a  while.  First  through  our  hosts,  the  char- 
itable priests,  and  presently  by  other  agencies,  the  young- 
est of  our  party  was  drawn  into  participation  with  the  living 
interests  around  her,  and  was  soon  engaged  in  the  pursuits 
which  best  accorded  with  her  inclinations,  and  which,  re- 
membering her  characterization  of  them  at  Dogashima,  we 
began  to  describe  as  "Yone's  play."  At  the  outset  she 
gave  no  heed  to  this  pleasantry,  but  its  frequent  repetition 
gradually  attracted  her  attention,  and  appeared  to  touch 
her  in  some  sensitive  spot.  Being  asked  by  Miss  Gibson, 
with  a  peculiar  intonation,  at  the  close  of  one  of  her  busy 
days,  if  she  had  found  plenty  of  partners  to  play  with, 
during  the  afternoon,  she  regarded  us  earnestly,  and  said, 
in  a  manner  implying  a  shade  of  anxiety, — 

"Am  I  absent  too  often,  Marian  ? " 

"What  an  idea  !  How  can  you  imagine  such  a  thing?" 
was  the  reply;  whereupon  Yone  addressed  herself  to  me:— 

"  Have  I  been  neglecting  you,  Doctor  ?  " 

"  Not  that  I  know  of,  my  child.  Perhaps  Miss  Gibson  is 
afraid  you  will  tire  yourself." 

"  It  is  impossible  to  be  tired  with  nothing  but " —  She 
checked  herself  at  the  familiar  word,  which  seemed  to  be 
assuming  a  new  significance,  and  again  looked  at  us  inquir- 
ingly. 

"You  need  not  be  so  solemn,"  observed  Miss  Gibson; 
"you  shall  enjoy  yourself  as  you  like,  if  you  will  not  try  to 
do  too  much.  But  I  am  not  sure  that  you  can  be  allowed 
to  have  any  more  acquaintances  to  look  after.  Who  was 
the  young  man  that  spoke  to  you,  on  the  bridge  ?" 

"  Did  you  see  him  ?  I  wanted  to  tell  you.  But  he  is  not 
an  acquaintance;  he  is  a  stranger.  He  gave  me  a  compli- 
ment." 

"Gave  you  what?"  I  exclaimed,  astonished. 

"A  compliment,  Doctor, — a  delightful  one." 

"What  on  earth  do  vou  mean  ? " 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  169 

"  I  suppose  he  was  puzzled  by  my  dress.  He  said  he 
had  seen  me  walking  with  many  sick  people,  and  thought  I 
was  a  nurse." 

"  Do  you  call  that  a  compliment  ?  Then  you  probably 
told  him  how  wonderfully  kind  the  sick  people  are,  to  per- 
mit you  to  go  about  taking  care  of  them." 

"  Now  the  doctor  is  pretending  to  be  severe,"  she  retali- 
ated, lightly.  "  No,  the  strange  gentleman  wished  to  know 
if  I  would  go  and  see  a  young  girl,  who  is  ill  at  Fuji-ya  inn." 

"  Dear  me  ! "  cried  Miss  Gibson.  "  I  hope  you  did 
not  promise." 

"  I  did  not  quite  promise,  for  I  thought  you  might  not 
like  that,  but  I  said  I  would  ask  Doctor  Charwell  to  go  to 
her;  and  if  she  really  is  ill  " —  She  looked  wistfully  at  us, 
leaving  the  phrase  unfinished. 

"  Who  is  she  ?  "  I  inquired, — "  a  foreigner  ?  " 

"  The  gentleman  is  a  foreigner,"  she  answered,  with  a 
little  hesitation.  "  I  believe  the  young  girl  is  Japanese." 

"  Oh,  pray  be  cautious  !  "  said  •  Miss  Gibson.  "  Think 
what  it  means:  a  foreigner,  you  do  not  know  who,  asking 
you  to  visit  one  of  your  country-women.  There  is  that 
spiteful  Miss  Jackman  watching  every  movement  you 
make,  from  the  balcony  of  Nara-ya,  like  a  " — 

"  Like  a  guardian  angel,"  I  hinted,  as  she  seemed  at  a 
loss  for  a  comparison.  "  But  I  did  not  know  Miss  Jackman 
was  here." 

"She  came  over  from  Hakone,  three  days  ago,"  explained 
Yone.  "  This  is  her  vacation  time.  Yes,  she  is  very 
watchful;  but  can  you  indeed  care,  Marian,  for  what  that 
lady  does  or  says  ?  " 

"I  ought  not,  perhaps;  yet  it  harasses  me  to  have  her 
near  us.  I  wish  she  had  stayed  away." 

"She  might  annoy  us  by  one  device  or  another,"  I  re- 
marked; "but  we  certainly  are  not  bound  to  consider  her, 
and  she  must  not  stand  in  the  way  of  anything  that  Yone 
seriously  wishes  to  do." 


iyo  YONE  SANTO: 

"  It  is  only  in  case  I  am  really  needed,"  said  Yone.  "If 
there  is  no  illness,  I  do  not  wish — I  prefer  not.  You  will 
see  the  young  girl,  Doctor  ?  " 

"  I  will  see  her.     What  is  her  name  ?  " 

"  I  have  not  heard.     The  gentleman's  name  is  Roberts." 

"  Does  he  know  who  you  are  ?  "  asked  Miss  Gibson. 

"  Not  at  all.  He  spoke  to  me,  and  I  answered,  in  Jap- 
anese. But  I  will  not  think  of  it  any  more,  since  there  may 
be  an  objection.  I  was  inclined  to  consent,  because  I  had 
refused,  a  few  minutes  before,  to  call  upon  another  person, 
and  I  did  not  like  to  say  '  no '  twice." 

This  surprised  us.  It  was  a  novelty  to  hear  that  Yone 
was  able  to  reject  any  demand  upon  her  attention,  and  we 
at  once  prepared  ourselves  for  an  interesting  disclosure. 
But  she  appeared  reluctant  to  pursue  the  subject,  and  for 
the  moment  our  expectation  remained  unsatisfied.  At  a 
later  period  of  the  evening,  she  seemed  on  the  point  of 
enlightening  us,  and  had  gone  so  far  as  to  say  that  she 
wanted  our  counsel  in  a  difficult  matter,  when  we  were 
startled  by  a  voice  from  without,  loudly  calling: — 

"  Is  Doctor  Charwell  anywhere  about  here  ?  " 

"  It  is  he, — Mr.  Roberts,"  Yone  whispered  hurriedly. 

"He  chooses  his  time  oddly,"  I  said,  not  too  well 
pleased;  "and  he  has  an  original  way  of  announcing  him- 
self." 

"The  young  girl  may  be  worse,"  our  peacemaker  sug- 
gested. 

"  He  shall  come  in,  but  I  will  see  him  alone,  if  you 
please; "  and  I  went  forth,  while  my  companions  retired  to 
an  inner  chamber. 

I  found  the  visitor  engaged  in  a  noisy  colloquy  with  the 
simple  priests,  and  led  him  to  the  apartment  which  served 
as  our  drawing-room. 

"Beg  pardon,  Doctor  Charwell,  for  shouting  so,"  he 
commenced  volubly,  "  but  they  told  me  you  were  in  one  of 
the  temples,  and  gave  me  no  other  clue.  If  I  hadn't  sung 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  171 

out,  I  should  never  have  gofc  at  you.  Allow  me,  my  name 
is  Roberts;  '  Fitch,  Burgess  and  Roberts,  Number  Four 
Hundred  and  Seven.'  " 

He  was  easily  recognizable  as  belonging  to  the  middle 
shopkeeping  class  of  Yokohama, — a  forward,  unpolished, 
self-satisfied  man,  about  thirty  years  of  age,  with  signs  of  a 
somewhat  quicker  intelligence  than  is  commonly  found 
among  his  order,  and  with  an  alertness  of  speech  and 
bearing  which  showed  at  least  that  he  had  thus  far  kept 
himself  out  of  the  torpid  stagnation  into  which  the  majority 
of  aliens  sink,  after  a  brief  experience  of  Oriental  inertia, 
and  through  which  their  existence  in  Japan  becomes  a  pro- 
longed and  sluggish  hibernation.  His  accent  betrayed 
Scottish  birth,  and  the  squareness  of  his  jaw  indicated  that 
he  possessed  no  small  share  of  the  national  stubbornness; 
but  there  was  a  pleasant  gleam  in  his  eye,  and  the  harsh- 
ness of  his  features  was  tempered  by  a  smile  in  which  a 
kindly  humor  seemed  to  contend  with  an  assumption  of 
shrewd  conceit.  In  rapidly  forming  these  impressions,  I 
was  doubtless  influenced  by  the  circumstance  that  his 
countenance,  otherwise  an  ordinary  one  in  his  sphere,  was 
notably  free  from  signs  of  the  hard  brutality  which  the 
average  British  trader  acquires  by  contact  with  what  it  is 
his  habit  to  call  the  inferior  Asiatic  races.  Still,  his 
appearance  was  not  on  the  whole  attractive,  and  I  waited 
to  learn  his  errand  without  much  predisposition  in  his 
favor. 

"  I'm  sorry  to  intrude  at  this  hour,"  he  said,  as  he  stood, 
hat  in  hand,  "but  I  couldn't  help  it, — I  really  couldn't. 
My  little  girl  is  in  great  trouble.  I  suppose  you  have  heard 
about  her?  " 

"  I  have  heard  of  a  case  of  sickness  at  Fuji-ya,"  I  an- 
swered, "and  that  you  spoke  of  it  to  Mrs.  Santo,  this  after- 
noon." 

"Yes,  Mrs.  Santo, — that's  it;  Yone  Santo  is  the  name. 
I  came  to  see  her,  if  I  can." 


172  Y0tf£  SANTO: 

"You  had  better  speak  with  me,  if  a  physician  is 
needed." 

"  But  I  want  her,"  he  persisted. 

"  Indeed  !  "  I  replied,  with  growing  disapproval.  "  The 
ladies  of  my  party  are  not  accustomed  to  this  sort  of 
summons,  Mr.  Roberts,  nor  odinarily  subject  to  the  call  of 
strangers." 

"Precisely,  yes, — no,  I  suppose  not,"  he  responded, 
slightly  abashed.  "  Naturally  you  think  you  should  be 
asked  first,  but  it's  a  peculiar  case,  Doctor  Charwell.  It 
isn't  illness  alone,  but  low  spirits,  miserably  low.  I  don't 
mind  telling  you  the  whole  story.  There's  a  parcel  of  mis- 
sionary women  in  this  town,  and  they've  got  hold  of  my 
poor  girl  and  set  her  just  topsy-turvy,  unbeknown  to  me. 
I  brought  her  here  because  she  was  pining,  and,  instead  of 
mending,  she  has  been  drooping  all  the  time.  They  have 
been  persecuting  her  every  day,  when  my  back  was  turned, 
and  I  tell  you,  sir,  they  have  worried  her  so  that  she  is 
nearly  off  her  head.  An  excitable  little  thing  she  is.  As 
for  her  position,  she — it  doesn't  matter  about  her  position. 
I  won't  have  her  sat  on  and  torn  to  pieces  by  a  pack  of 
hyenas,; — heartless  hyenas  I  call  them.  You  agree  with  me, 
I  am  sure." 

"  Not  in  the  least,  sir,"  I  rejoined,  more  and  more  dissat- 
isfied; "  and  I  do  not  see  how  this  concerns  me  or  anybody 
in  my  charge." 

"  Why,  Doctor  Charwell,  I  thought  you  and  I  were  pas- 
sengers in  the  same  boat.  I  was  told  that  you  had  your 
own  good  reasons  for  wishing  the  missionaries  exterminated, 
root  and  branch;  that  you  knew,  better  than  most  of  us, 
what  a  low-lived,  useless  crew  they  are." 

"  I  don't  care  to  discuss  my  opinions,  or  the  reasons  for 
them,"  I  retorted  curtly,  "and  I  am  very  far,  at  this  par- 
ticular moment,  from  regarding  the  body  you  speak  of  as 
low-lived  or  useless.  If  you  have  no  other  business  " — 

He  stared  at  me  as  if  I  had  propounded  the  most  start- 
ling of  paradoxes. 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  173 

"  I — I  didn't  reckon  upon  this,"  he  stammered;  "  I  don't 
take  it  in,  at  all.  This  is  the  last  thing.  In  the  name  of 
Dai  Butsu,  will  you  tell  me  what  use  they  are,  on  the  face 
of  the  earth?" 

"  Since  you  ask  me,  I  will.  They  are  useful,  extremely 
useful,  in  setting  a  pattern  of  social  cleanliness  and  deco- 
rum, which  foreigners  generally  would  do  well  to  copy. 
They  are  useful  in  showing  the  natives  of  this  land  that 
domestic  life  is  possible  without  looseness  and  irregularity. 
You  know  well  enough  what  the  conspicuous  vice  of  the 
country  is,  and  you  ought  to  know  that  the  Japanese  peo- 
ple are  singularly  susceptible  to  good  examples.  They 
cannot  help  remarking  that  the  missionary  element  is  dis- 
figured by  none  of  the  licentiousness  which  is  their  own 
bane,  and  against  which  they  take  too  little  pains  to  guard 
themselves.  The  lesson  is  a  sound  and  wholesome  one, 
and  I  am  not  aware  that  it  is  taught  by  any  other  section 
of  the  foreign  community.  To  that  extent  the  mission- 
aries are  in  a  high  degree  useful.  They  preach  the  vir- 
tues of  morality,  and  in  their  practice  they  offer  a  model 
to  be  respected,  if  it  cannot  be  followed  by  the  laity." 

The  color  mounted  to  the  young  man's  face,  and  he 
twisted  his  hat  nervously  in  his  fingers. 

"  That  is  one  for  me,  I  presume;  red-hot,  with  dynamite 
attachment.  I  see  I  have  given  offense,  though  I  didn't 
mean  it.  That  was  not  in  my  calculations,  I  can  assure 
you.  Out  I  go,  sir,  as  quietly  as  I  can."  His  speech  was 
fantastic,  but  there  was  no  trace  of  boisterousness  or 
bravado  as  he  turned  away.  "  No  use,  now,  to  ask  you  to 
see  my  poor  baby;  put  my  foot  in  it  too  deep  for  that. 
Good-evening,  sir."  He  paused  at  the  threshold.  "  Do 
you  know — can  you  tell  me  if  there  is  another  doctor  in 
Miyanoshita?  I  may  ask  that  much,  I  hope." 

A  rustling  noise  in  the  adjoining  room  apprised  me  that 
the  dialogue  had  been  overheard,  and  a  jarring  of  the  loose 
partition  led  me  to  apprehend  a  sudden  incursion. 


174  YONE  SANTO  • 

"  Why  do  you  say  that  ?  "  I  demanded  quickly.  "  I  will 
go  to  her;  if  she  is  ill  I  will  go  at  once." 

"  I  thought,  from  the  way  you  turned  the  missionary 
hydrant  on  me,  that  I  had  no  chance.  There  was  some- 
thing else,  but  you  knocked  me  out  of  time  before  I  could 
get  to  it;  drove  everything  I  had  to  say  clean  out  of  my 
head.' 

"Say  it  now,  if  you  like." 

"Yes,  it  isn't  much."  I  didn't  know  who  the  Japanese 
lady  was,  but  she  mentioned  your  name,  and  when  I  re- 
peated it  to  my  little  girl  she  almost  went  wild.  *  It  must 
be  Yone  who  is  with  him !'  she  cried  out.  'Do  beg  her  to 
come  and  help  me; '  and  she  told  me  all  about  Mrs.  Santo. 
Then  I  had  to  give  her  a  warning.  I  hated  to  do  it,  for 
you  know  how  thin-skinned  these  poor  creatures  are;  but  I 
was  obliged  to  tell  her  that  the  young  lady,  or  her  friends, 
might  object,  under  the  circumstances.  Well,  sir,  she 
wouldn't  listen  to  me.  *  I  know  she  will  come,'  she  kept 
saying;  'she  will  surely  come  to  Shizu  Miura' " — 

In  the  flash  of  an  instant  the  door  was  thrown  aside,  and 
Yone  was  with  us. 

"  Shizu  !  my  playfellow,  my  schoolmate  !  Why  did  you 
not  tell  me  at  the  bridge  ?  Doctor — Marian — she  was  my 
dear  friend  when  I  was  a  child,  in  Nagoya." 

Mr.  Roberts  surveyed  her,  and  Miss  Gibson,  who  had 
also  entered,  with  astonishment.  He  had  never  before 
heard  a  Japanese  girl  speak  English  with  such  fluency,  nor 
seen  one  upon  such  terms  of  equal  intimacy  with  an  alien 
of  her  own  sex. 

"  Perhaps,  then,"  he  ventured,  "you  will  go,  after  all." 

"  Indeed,  yes,"  said  Yone.     "  I  am  ready  now." 

"  It  is  getting  to  be  very  late,"  observed  Miss  Gibson, 
with  an  anxiety  which  Yone  would  have  been  unable  to 
fathom.  Is  it  not  better  that  Doctor  Charwell  should 
make  the  first  visit  ?  If  he  finds — if  he  consents,  you  can 
go  to-morrow." 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  175 

"  But  she  is  in  trouble.  Oh,  Marian,  did  you  not  hear  ? 
It  is  hard  to  stay,  if  she  needs  me." 

"  Miss  Gibson  is  right,"  I  felt  bound  to  declare.  "  If 
there  is  nothing  in  the  way,  you  can  go  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, Yone.  And  for  you,  Mr.  Roberts,  that  ought  to  be 
sufficient." 

"  It  ought,  sir;  certainly  it  ought.  It  isn't  the  fair  thing 
for  me  to  insist,  but  to  tell  you  the  truth,  although  Shizu  is 
really  ill,  the  young  lady  can  do  more  for  her  than  the  doc- 
tor. She  has  been  in  a  wretched  state  all  this  day,  griev- 
ing and  fretting  to  the  depths,  until  she  took  the  notion 
that  her  friend  was  here;  and  then — you  never  saw  such  a 
change.  She  brightened  up  as  if  a  sunbeam  had  struck 
her;  actually  thought  of  leaving  her  bed  and  coming  out 
herself,  to  hunt  for — for  a  little  womanly  kindness.  It  was 
nothing  but  *  Yone,' — c  I  must  go  to  her ' — *  Yone  will  help 
me,' — 'Yone  knows,' — and  the  like,  until  I  undertook  to 
get  a  message  for  her,  even  if  I  had  to  go  back  alone." 

He  gazed  eagerly  at  each  of  us  in  turn.  Yone  said 
nothing,  but  laid  her  hand  beseechingly  on  Miss  Gibson's 
arm. 

"  I  do  hope  you  will  give  permission,  Miss,"  resumed  the 
Yokohama  merchant.  "  She  shan't  get  an  atom  of  harm. 
There's  nothing — I  pledge  you  my  word,  there's  nothing 
very  bad  about  Shizu;  she's  just  a  child.  I  beg  your  par- 
don," he  went  on,  almost  breathlessly,  noticing  that  Miss 
Gibson  averted  her  head  with  a  movement  of  repulsion; 
"  I've  made  another  mess  of  it.  I'm  not  fit  to  plead  the 
case, — that's  the  truth.  But  it  is  my  fault;  don't  let  my 
stupidity  set  you  against  the  poor  girl." 

a  I  will  go  with  you,  Yone,"  said  Miss  Gibson,  in  a  low 
tone  and  with  evident  effort.  "You  must  have  me  by  your 
side.  Whoever  sees  you  shall  see  that  we  are  together." 

"  It's  amazing  kind  of  you,  Miss,"  broke  in  the  irrepres- 
sible stranger;  "  not  like  those — Excuse  me,  Doctor;  I'm 
so  confused,  I  believe  I  have  lost  my  wits.  I'll  tell  you 


1 76  YONE    SANTO: 

what  I  will  do;  walk  ahead  to  show  you  the  road,  and 
leave  you  to  go  in  by  yourselves.  Then  I'll  keep  myself 
out  of  the  way  entirely;  you  sha'n't  be  bothered  by  another 
sight  of  me." 

His  uncouth  awkwardness  was  more  to  his  credit  than 
he  was  aware  of,  and  altogether  preferable  to  the 
bold  assurance  with  which  he  had  set  out,  and  which 
one  of  his  grade  might  have  been  expected  to  main- 
tain to  the  end.  But  the  situation  was  disagreeable,  how- 
ever viewed,  and  I  was  fully  conscious  that  Miss  Gibson  had 
taken  upon  herself  a  difficult  and  distasteful  task,  out  of 
regard  to  Yone,  whose  thoughts  were  exclusively  bent  upon 
giving  relief  to  a  fellow-being  in  distress,  and  to  whom  the 
embarassment  under  which  her  companion  labored,  was  not, 
for  the  moment,  perceptible. 

"We  will  do  this,"  I  announced.  "  The  hotel  is  close  at 
hand.  Mr.  Roberts  shall  take  me  to  the  invalid,  and  I  will 
see  what  is  needed  in  my  way.  If  everything  is  as  I  antic- 
ipate, I  will  return  by  myself  for  both  of  you." 

"  I  may  be  with  her  alone  ?  "  entreated  Yone.  "  I  have 
known  her  all  my  life,  until  a  few  months  ago.  We  were 
infants  together." 

"  That  is  what  I  meant,"  I  replied.  "  Miss  Gibson  and 
I  will  wait  for  you  in  the  hotel  dining-room.  We  will  give 
you  half  an  hour  to-night,  and  to-morrow — well,  to-morrow 
shall  take  care  of  itself." 

XXIV. 

A    PITIFUL    DISCLOSURE. 

So  IT  was  carried  out.  Within  five  minutes  I  was  at  the 
bedside  of  a  sweet-faced,  slenderly  framed  girl,  whose 
physical  ailment,  due  apparently  to  over-exertion,  was  in- 
creased by  a  mental  strain  she  had  recently  undergone,  the 
nature  of  which  I  was  able  to  conjecture  from  Roberts's  vin- 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  177 

dictive  allusions,  although  the  sufferer  showed  no  disposition 
to  enlarge  upon  it.  Her  yearning  for  Yone's  comforting 
presence  was  uncontrollable,  and  it  was  plain  that  little 
could  be  done  to  relieve  her  while  she  was  kept  apart  from 
the  friend  of  her  early  days.  I  saw  no  reason  for  opposing 
her  wish.  The  considerations  which  would  naturally 
weigh  heavily  with  Miss  Gibson,  and  possibly  compel  her, 
as  an  obligation  of  duty,  to  resist  the  exposure  of  our  pro- 
tegee to  what  she  conceived  to  be  a  contaminating  associa- 
tion, had  no  force  with  me;  for  I  knew  that  the  evil  of  this 
young  creature's  life  was  undoubtedly  a  burden  imposed 
upon  her  by  a  cruel  fate,  and  that  her  soul  was  free  from 
the  guilt,  if  her  body  was  not  free  from  the  shame,  to  which 
others  had  condemned  her. 

After  instructing  Roberts  as  to  the  course  of  treatment 
which  I  deemed  expedient,  I  sent  him  into  banishment,  and 
brought  Miss  Gibson  and  Yone  from  the  temple.  To  the 
hapless  victim  of  an  odious  Japanese  usage  our  gentle  min- 
istrant  carried  the  consoling  sympathy  and  charity  which 
instinct  enabled  her  to  impart  with  ineffable  delicacy,  and 
which  was  more  urgently  needed,  as  it  was  infinitely 
more  welcome,  than  the  service  it  had  been  my  prov- 
ince to  render.  While  waiting  in  the  dining-hall,  I  en- 
deavored to  engage  the  unsophisticated  Bostonian  in  con- 
versation upon  matters  concerning  which  she  was  imper- 
fectly informed,  and  which  required  to  be  presented  to  her 
judgment  in  a  new  light.  It  was  essential  to  her  peace  of 
mind  that  she  should  divest  herself  of  some  prejudices  in- 
separable from  her  Western  training,  before  confronting 
the  painful  social  problems  which  cannot  long  be  concealed 
in  Japan,  and  the  solution  of  which,  even  in  individual 
cases,  demands  a  courage,  a  luminous  impartiality,  and  a 
rigorous  renunciation  of  commonly  accepted  traditions,  of 
which  many  of  her  sex  are  incapable.  But  she  was  too 
profoundly  absorbed  in  her  own  reflections  to  respond  to  my 
advances.  At  the  end  of  the  stipulated  half  hour  Yone  re- 


178  YONE  SANTO: 

joined  us,  also  grave  and  thoughtful,  and  we  quietly  returned 
to  our  temporary  quarters.  Roberts  was  standing  at  the 
hotel  gate  as  we  passed,  but  he  made  no  attempt  to  accost 
us,  and  offered  no  sign  of  recognition  beyond  a  formal  sal- 
utation; which  exercise  of  self-restraint  was  noted  to  his  ad- 
vantage by  at  least  one  of  our  party.  It  was  about  ten 
o'clock  when  we  were  again  seated  in  our  little  brevet  par- 
lor. Without  direct  declaration  of  her  desire,  Yone  made 
it  obvious  that  she  had  intelligence  of  some  importance  to 
communicate,  and  we  allowed  the  customary  hour  of  re- 
tirement to  go  by  unobserved. 

"  This  has  been  a  strange  meeting,"  she  said,  when  she 
saw  that  we  were  ready  to  attend, — "very  strange,  very 
unexpected,  very  sad.  You  know  who  she  is,  Doctor  ?" 

I  shook  my  head  in  denial. 

"  You  have  heard  me  speak  of  her:  my  schoolfellow, 
Shizu  Miura,  whose  uncle  adopted  her,  and  saved  her  from 
a  marriage  which  she  wished  to  avoid." 

"  I  remember  now.     I  thought  all  was  well  with  her." 

"All  has  been  ill,  since  that  time.  The  marriage  would 
have  been  easier  to  bear  than  what  followed.  Her  uncle 
had  made  himself  an  akindo  [merchant,]  and  his  business 
seemed  to  prosper  for  a  short  while;  but  the  samurai  of  my 
country  have  no  cleverness  in  buying  or  selling.  All  they 
have  ever  learned  about  trade  was  to  despise  it.  The  un- 
skilled gentleman  could  not  stand  against  the  men  of  in- 
genious craft.  He  became  poorer  than  his  brother,  and 
Shizu  went  back  to  her  old  home,  knowing  that  her  selfish- 
ness had  brought  difficulty  to  two  households.  By  accept- 
ing the  husband  provided  for  her,  she  would  have  lightened 
the  cares  of  her  family,  and  perhaps  given  them  a  new 
hope  of  support;  but  now  she  felt  herself  to  be  a  heavier 
load  than  before.  No  one  reproached  her;  only  her  con- 
science told  her  that  she  had  added  to  the  misfortunes  of 
those  whom  she  could  have  helped,  and  ought  to  have 
helped.  I  cannot  describe  to  you  how  poor  they  were. 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  179 

Marian,  you  would  not  understand  it,  but  the  doctor  does, 
for  he  has  seen  the  calamities  of  our  feudal  gentry, — those 
who  were  thrown  upon  the  world  when  the  great  change 
came,  who  were  ignorant  of  every  kind  of  industry,  who 
could  earn  no  livelihood,  who  knew  nothing,  not  even  how 
to  beg.  In  one  day  they  saw  their  incomes  taken  away, 
and  themselves,  with  their  kindred,  cast  down  to  ruin. 
There  was  no  warning  for  them,  no  gradual  loss.  They 
fell,  millions  of  them,  I  have  been  told,  from  comfort,  ease, 
perfect  content,  to  the  lowest  depth  of  despair.  Yet  they 
endured  their  lot  patiently,  and  without  much  complain- 
ing, for  they  knew  that  their  rulers  were  not  to  blame. 
They  hid  their  griefs,  so  far  as  they  could,  even  from  the 
strangers  whose  coming  had  brought  the  disasters  upon 
them,  and  who,  we  have  always  believed,  have'  kept  our 
people  in  poverty  for  their  own  gain." 

"  Yone,  it  cannot  be,"  cried  Miss  Gibson;  "it  is  incredi- 
ble. Tell  her,  Doctor,  that  she  is  —  that  they  are  de- 
ceived." 

"  It  is  God's  truth,"  I  answered;  "the  governments  of 
Europe  and  America  are  indeed  responsible  for  the  direst 
woes  of  this  country.  But  you  have  promised  me,  Yone, 
not  to  agitate  yourself  by  brooding  upon  these  things." 

"Forgive  me;  it  is  Shizu's  sorrowful  story  that  has 
brought  them  to  my  mind.  I  will  speak  of  them  no  more. 
You  have  made  me  comprehend  that  they  are  too  awful  for 
a  child  like  me  to  dwell  upon."  She  shuddered,  as  she  sat 
silent  for  a  moment,  and  seemed  to  struggle  against  the 
perturbing  and  oppressive  recollections  which  had  suddenly 
overwhelmed  hlr.  When  she  resumed,  her  thoughts  were 
once  more  centred  upon  the  immediate  object  of  her  com- 
passion. 

"  For  a  long  time  Shizu  watched  the  frightful  contest  of 
her  family  with  the  penury  which  was  wasting  their  flesh 
and  blood,  and  prayed  for  the  relief  that  would  not  come. 
Everything  they  owned  was  sold;  of  all  that  had  once  been 


i8o  YONE   SANTO: 

theirs,  only  one  article  of  value  remained  in  their  posses- 
sion. Even  this  was  pawned,  though  they  would  rather 
have  given  up  their  lives  than  part  with  it  forever.  Oh,  the 
torture  of  those  days  of  hunger,  and  sickness,  and  death  ! — 
for  death  came  to  more  than  one  of  them.  The  first  to 
leave  them  was  a  little  sister.  I  knew  that  I  had  no  cause 
to  lament  her;  the  pain  of  her  existence  was  ended.  Then 
the  aged  brother  of  her  grandfather  fell  ill;  his  voice  grew 
weak,  his  eyes  were  dim,  all  his  strength  forsook  him,  for 
want  of  food, — nothing  but  want  of  food.  I  could  send 
them  only  a  small  portion" — 

"You  speak  as  if  you  had  witnessed  these  scenes,"  I  in- 
terrupted. "  Did  you  know,  at  the  time,  how  they  were 
situated  ? " 

"  I  knew,  but  we  also  were  poor,  Doctor,  and  my  hands 
were  not  free,  as  you  can  remember." 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  why  did  you  keep  it  from  me,  my 
child?" 

"Ah,  Doctor,  do  you  think  that  they  alone,  among 
my  friends,  were  in  that  terrible  condition  ?  There  were 
hundreds  whose  suffering  was  as  great,  perhaps  greater. 
I  never  doubted  your  goodness,  but  I  could  not  tell  you  of 
all  who  were  afflicted.  It  was  net  in  your  power  to  save 
them,  much  as  you  would  have  wished  it." 

"  You  should  have  told  me  of  this  case,  if,  as  I  fear,  the 
girl  was  driven  by  desperation  to  sacrifice  herself." 

"  Not  then;  that  happened  later.  I  tried  to  do  what  was 
best,  but  I  lost  sight  of  them  before  the  darkest  days  came. 
There  were  other  deaths;  not  slow,  like  those  which  I 
knew  of,  but  hasty  and  violent  enough  to  distract  a  helpless 
girl's  mind.  The  fading  lives  of  all  who  were  left  depended 
upon  her;  they  were  famishing,  and  she  could  rescue  them. 
Knowing  what  the  people  of  my  country  are,  I  dare  not 
judge  her,  but  I  may  ask  Marian  if  I  have  not  the  right  to 
love  her  still." 

"  Don't  ask  me  !  "  Miss  Gibson  cried,  recoiling  from  her 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  181 

appeal.  "  I  am  horrified  at  everything  I  have  heard.  I 
don't  know  what  to  say  or  think.  I  never  dreamed  that 
such  enormities  could  be.  You  tell  me,  Doctor  Charwell, 
that  the  Christian  nations  have  combined  to  desolate  this 
feeble  and  burdened  race,  and  that  is  bad  enough;  but  the 
picture  which  Yone  is  drawing  has  a  background  so  hideous 
that  I  cannot  bear  to  look  at  it.  Are  these  things  true  ?  If 
they  are,  don't  ask  me  to  pronounce  upon  them.  The  worst  I 
have  dreaded  was  trivial  in  comparison.  I  never  have  believed 

I  only  guessed — faintly — a  little  part"-  Her  utterance 

was  choked  by  a  hysterical  flood  of  tears,  as  she  turned 
aside  and  covered  her  face  with  her  hands. 

Yone  sat  motionless,  striken  with  consternation,  uncer- 
tain how  to  meet  this  unlooked-for  outburst,  which  had 
been  evoked  by  her  possibly  abrupt  disclosure  of  one  of  the 
shocking  realities  in  the  domestic  system  of  Japan.  To  me 
it  appeared  that  the  abruptness  of  the  disclosure  was  of 
little  moment.  It  could  scarcely  be  called  premature,  in- 
asmuch as  a  person  coming  to  the  country  with  Miss  Gib- 
son's definite  purpose  might  reasonably  be  accounted 
familiar  with  the  notorious  fact  that  the  women  are  often 
expected  and  required  to  degrade  themselves  for  the  mate- 
rial benefit  of  those  to  whose  authority  they  are  subject. 
In  any  case  it  was  inevitable,  without  much  delay,  and  was 
not  especially  to  be  regretted.  I  was  convinced  that  a  few 
decisive  words  would  be  effectual  in  allaying  the  present 
disquietude,  and  providing  against  future  misconceptions. 

"You  will  be  calm,  Miss  Gibson,"  I  said,  "and  will  not 
prolong  Yone's  distress,  which  is  greater  than  you  ought 
to  inflict  upon  her.  I  did  not  know  you  were  so  ill  pre- 
pared, but  since  you  have  been  unwisely  left  in  ignorance, 
I  have  some  satisfaction  in  assuring  you  that  you  have  no 
further  revelations  to  apprehend.  There  is  nothing,  in  all 
Japan,  beyond  what  you  have  now  caught  sight  of.  You 
know  the  worst  that  you  will  have  to  contend  with  as  long 
as  you  remain  here.  Of  course  there  is  no  palliation  for  it, 


182  YONE  SANTO: 

but  I  shall  try  to-morrow,  to  show  you  how  to  place  your 
condemnation  where  it  is  merited,  and  not  to  apply  it  where 
commiseration  alone  is  due.  To-morrow,  if  you  please;  to- 
night we  will  all  rest,  as  tranquilly  as  we  can." 


XXV. 

THE    HELPING    HAND. 

BEFORE  leaving  the  temple,  on  the  following  day,  Yone 
took  me  aside,  and  questioned  me  with  respect  to  the  pos- 
sibility of  finding  a  means  of  livelihood  for  a  young  person 
who  had  precisely  the  qualifications  which  she  herself  pos- 
sessed, and  was  equally  capable  of  serving  as  interpreter  or 
copyist. 

"  I  have  no  secrets  from  you,"  she  said;  "  I  am  thinking 
of  Shizu.  She  was  a  good  scholar  at  Jo-gakko,  and  under- 
stands English  well,  though  she  has  had  but  little  chance 
to  speak  it — until  lately.  If  I  have  been  of  use,  in  my 
poor  way,  I  am  sure  she  could  gain  enough  for  her  needs. 
A  very  little  would  support  her." 

The  difficulty  of  extricating  this  friend  from  her  present 
mode  of  existence  was  greater  than  Yone  could  divine;  but 
if  the  experiment  could  be  tried,  I  was  willing  to  cooperate, 
and  to  provide  occupations,  in  case  of  need,  which  should 
be  sufficiently  genuine  for  the  purpose  in  view.  In  addi- 
tion to  my  habitual  desire  to  encourage  and  participate  in 
her  benefactions,  this  particular  scheme  was  in  direct 
accordance  with  a  project  I  had  long  entertained,  and 
promised  to  supply  an  instrument  essential  to  my  op- 
erations. I  therefore  assured  her  that  the  employment 
should  not  be  lacking,  if  the  girl  were  disposed  to  devote 
herself  to  it. 

"  There  is  no  doubt  of  that, "she  answered;  "  I  know  her 
well.  If  I  had  told  you  all,  you  would  have  no  fear." 

Miss  Gibson  declared  herself  again  ready  to  proceed  to 


A   CHILD  OF  JAP  AX.  183 

Fuji-ya,  but  I  explained  that  an  escort  had  been  desirable 
in  the  first  place  only  because  we  had  no  knowledge  of  the 
invalid's  surroundings,  and  it  seemed  possible  that  Yone 
might  be  drawn  into  a  false  position.  As  there  was  now 
nothing  to  be  apprehended  on  that  score,  it  was  better,  all 
points  considered,  that  she  should  go  alone.  She  was  ab- 
sent several  hours,  and  on  her  return  informed  us  that  she 
hoped  we  would  be  pleased  with  what  she  had  done, 
although  she  foresaw  that  Mr.  Roberts  would  soon  be  with 
us,  and  that  his  visit  would  perhaps  not  be  an  agreeable 
one.  She  would  not  ask  Miss  Gibson  to  be  present  at  the 
impending  interview,  as  he  would  certainly  bring  up  un- 
pleasant topics,  and  Marian  had  already  been  made  too  un- 
comfortable and  unhappy.  The  doctor  knew  what  was 
likely  to  occur,  and  he  would  give  all  the  assistance  that 
was  absolutely  needed,  in  arranging  matters  with  the  gentle- 
man from  Yokohama. 

"  I  will  do  whatever  you  wish,"  said  the  Boston  girl,  not 
without  signs  of  contrition.  "  Do  riot  think  so  meanly  of 
me  as  to  suppose  I  would  desert  you  at  a  difficult  moment. 
I  am  ashamed  of  my  behavior  last  night.  I  should  at  least 
have  had  more  consideration  for  you,  my  dear.  I  see 
things  more  clearly  now,  and  if  you  want  me  with  you,  my 
place  is  by  your  side,  no  matter  what  is  to  happen." 

"Indeed  I  want  you,"  replied  Yone,  glowing  with  satis- 
faction. "  To  have  you  near  me  will  give  me  strength,  if 
I  grow  timid,  and  your  presence  will  produce  a  great  effect 
upon  Mr.  Roberts.  Simply  to  see  you  with  me,  and  to 
know  that  you  are  supporting  me,  will  make  him  listen 
carefully  to  what  I  say.  If  he  understands  that  you  trust 
me,  he  will  believe  that  he  also  may  trust  me.  Am  I  not 
right,  Doctor  ? ' 

I  told  her  she  was  entirely  right,  and  that  we  both  would 
assist  her  to  the  limit  of  our  power;  for  I  thought  it  in- 
judicious then  to  acquaint  her  with  my  conviction  that  she 
alone  could  exert  an  appreciable  force  in  the  enterprise  to 


184  YONE  SANTO: 

which  she  had  addressed  herself,  and  that  her  influence 
would  be  far  more  effectual  than  purs  in  carrying  it  to  a 
successful  issue. 

We  had  not  long  to  wait.  About  the  middle  of  the 
afternoon  Mr.  Roberts  presented  himself,  flushed  and  agi- 
tated, and  proclaiming  defiance  in  demeanor,  tone  and  ges- 
ture. 

"  I  have  called  to  settle  accounts,  Dr.  Charwell,  and  close 
the  connection.  I  don't  propose  to  be  rude,  but  I  can't 
allow  any  interference  in  my  private  affairs.  I  didn't  look 
for  it,  sir,  from  you.  However,  that  is  neither  here  nor 
there.  I'll  pay  your  bill  and  thank  you  to  keep  away  from 
me  and  mine  hereafter.  You  understand  me,  and  that  is 
enough." 

"  Not  altogether;  it  may  be  that  Mrs.  Santo  does,"  I 
answered,  feeling  instinctively  that  I  could  not  do  better 
than  entrust  all  the  proceedings  to  Yone's  tact  and  dis- 
cretion. 

"  Mr.  Roberts  means  that  I  have  endeavored  to  induce 
Shizu  to  leave  him." 

"  That's  what  I  mean,  and  I  take  it  extremely  ill,  I  can 
assure  you.  Her  relations  with  me  are  nobody's  business 
but  mine." 

"Hers,  surely," said  Yone, with  perfect  gentleness;  "and 
perhaps  mine,  since  I  am  her  oldest  friend.  May  I  not 
call  it  my  business  to  think  of  her  welfare  ?  " 

"  That's  what  those — the  others  always  say.  No,  I  thank 
you,  I  can  take  first-class  care  of  her  welfare;  and  if  Doc- 
tor Charwell  will  be  good  enough  to  hand  me  his  bill,  I'll 
not  detain  you  any  longer." 

"  Doctor  Charwell  will  ask  you — we  will  all  ask  you — to 
wait  a  little,  while  I  speak  about  Shizu.  She  is  like  a  sis- 
ter to  me,  my  only  sister.  You  will  not  be  so  unkind  as  to 
refuse.  I  beg  you  to  be  seated,  and  listen  to  me." 

His  eyes  had  been  wandering  restlessly  around  the  room, 
but  as  they  met  Yone's  clear  aud  earnest  glance  he  com- 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  185 

posed  himself,  and  replied,  with  a  perceptible  abatement  of 
surliness: — 

"  Oh,  yes,  I'll  listen.  I  don't  want  to  be  rough,  -and  I'll 
listen;  but  my  mind  is  made  up.  I  won't  let  her  go." 

"  Not  if  she  wishes  it  ?  " 

"  I  don't  wish  it,  and  that's  sufficient.  I  can't  get  on 
without  her.  Think  of  my  children;  it  was  mostly  on 
their  account  that  I  took  her.  I  never  could  manage  them, 
never;  and  she, — I  don't  mind  saying  it, — young  as  she  is, 
she's  the  same  as  a  mother  to  them.  They  have  no  mother 
of  their  own,  poor  things." 

"  Ah,  how  old  are  they,  Mr.  Roberts  ? " 

"  Three,  and  four.  I  couldn't  send  them  back  to  my 
people  at  home,  you  see,  at  their  age." 

"And  when  they  grow  up  ?  "     Yone  still  inquired. 

"  What  then  ?  " 

"  When  they  begin  to  be  young  ladies,  what  will  become 
of  Shizu  ? " 

"  Right  you  are  !  I  must  have  her  out  of  the  way  before 
that  time.  But  you  needn't  fear.  If  she  runs  a  straight 
course,  she  will  never  come  to  grief;  I  will  look  out  for 
that." 

"  You  mean  that  you  will  give  her  money,  and  send  her 
away  from  you.  What  will  her  feelings  be,  then  ?  You 
are  thinking  only  of  yourself  and  of  your  children,  Mr. 
Roberts." 

"  Bless  my  soul,  Mrs.  Santo,  what  are  you  thinking  of  ? 
If  I  provide  for  her,  I  am  not  bound  to  trouble  myself 
about  her  feelings,  half  a  dozen  years  from  now.  What 
claim  has  she  upon  me  ?  I  don't  mean  to  give  offense,  not 
the  least  in  the  world,  but  do  you  know  the  position  she 
was  in  before  she  came  to  me, — where  she  would  have  been 
in  less  than  a  week,  if  I  hadn't  taken  command  and  towed 
her  into  a  safe  port  ?  You'll  excuse  me,  but  I  can't  put 
much  stock  in  the  feelings  of  a  girl  of  that  kind." 

Miss  Gibson    uttered    an    indignant   exclamation,   and 


1 86  YONE  SANTO: 

would  have  given  her  rebuke  a  more  intelligible  form,  if  I 
had  not  hastily  taken  upon  myself  the  duty  of  replying  to 
this  last  observation. 

"  I  have  no  doubt,  Mr.  Roberts,  that  you  are  doing  your- 
self an  injustice,  and  assuming  a  callousness  which  is  not 
at  all  in  your  nature,  in  order  to  make  a  conventional 
point  of  argument.  You  could  not  pass  a  single  week  in 
close  association  with  any  Japanese  girl  of  gentle  birth,  and 
fail  to  discover  that  her  sensibilities  are  exceptionally  acute 
and  tender.  So  we  may  let  the  question  of  '  feelings '  go 
by  without  discussion.  But  if  you  expect  to  produce  an 
adverse  impression,  or  any  impression  but  one  of  profound 
pity,  upon  Mrs.  Santo  by  speaking  of  the  position  to  which 
her  unhappy  friend  was  reduced,  you  will  be  disappointed. 
She  cannot  enter  into  your  view  of  the  matter.  Women  do 
not,  in  this  part  of  the  world,  necessarily  descend  through 
successive  stages  of  vice  to  the  lowest  level  of  abasement. 
The  transition  is  often  instantaneous  from  innocence  and 
purity  to  a  condition  which  in  your  estimation  implies  the 
abandonment  of  every  virtue,  and  familiarity  with  every 
form  of  depravity.  Here  it  implies  nothing  of  the  kind. 
You  must  bear  in  mind  the  distinction  between  guilt  and 
misfortune,  or  you  will  be  hopelessly  at  cross-purposes 
with  this  lady.  Shizu's  position,  whatever  it  may  have 
been,  cannot  be  turned  to  her  disadvantage  in  this  conver- 
sation." 

"  I  know  what  her  position  was,"  said  Yone  sadly;  "but 
no  one  would  be  so  cruel  as  to  believe  it  was  her  own 
choice,  or  that  she  looked  upon  it  otherwise  than  as  a  heavy 
disaster.  I  am  thinking  less  of  it  than  of  Mr.  Robert's 
opinion  that  she  has  no  claim  upon  him.  Perhaps  she  has 
not.  I  would  not  myself  say  that  there  is  anything  that  can 
be  called  a  claim,  directly,  and  she  would  be  the  last  to  re- 
mind him  of  one,  if  it  existed.  But  I  can  show  him,  unless 
I  am  mistaken,  that  her  great  afflictions  entitle  her  to  more 
of  his  consideration  than  he  has  given,  if  not  to  his  respect; 


A  CHILD  OF  JAP  AX.  187 

and  that  when  he  coldly  speaks  of  her  as  '  a  girl  of  that 
kind,'  his  judgment  is  wrong  in  every  way." 

"To  be  sure,  I  might  have  put  it  more  mildly,"  Roberts 
rejoined;  "but  I  have  to  go  by  what  I  have  seen  and  heard. 
I  know  this  much:  that  her  father  was  the  commonest  sort 
of  a  servant  in  the  house  of  the  Tokio  head  of  our  firm; 
and  she — there's  no  getting  over  it;  I  wouldn't  be  so  blunt 
if  T  could  help  it — she  was  on  the  verge  of  selling  herself 
outright  when  I  stepped  in  to  the  rescue." 

"  And  that  is  all  you  know  ?  Have  you  not  learned  the 
truth  about  her  father's  death  ?" 

"  I  always  fancied  that  some  part  of  that  affair  had  been 
kept  back;  but  Shizu  was  shy  of  referring  to  it,  and  I 
couldn't  very  well  press  her.  It  was  a  mystery  how  he  came 
to  be  so  desperately  wounded,  and  no  one  else  seriously 
damaged.  Some  of  us  would  have  been  badly  enough 
damaged,  if  he  hadn't  been  on  hand, — I,  for  example.  I 
never  was  so  scared  in  all  my  life.  May  be  that  is  what 
you  mean  by  a  claim.  I  haven't  overlooked  that,  I  can 
assure  you.  If  there  is  anything  behind,  I  should  be  glad 
to  hear  it, — indeed  I  should." 

"  I  must  tell  you,  then,  that  my  knowledge  of  all 
that  touches  Shizu  is  as  certain  as  if  she  were  a  member  of 
my  own  family.  Her  father,  as  my  friends  here  will  re- 
member, was  a  faithful  retainer  of  ours;  and  it  used  to  be 
said  in  Nagoya,  my  native  city,  that  the  fortunes  of  Yamada 
depended  upon  the  constant  adherence  of  Miura." 

"  Miura  ?  "  repeated  Miss  Gibson.  "  Why,  yes,  Miura 
was  the  ancient  hero  whose  adventures  you  related.  Is  it 
possible  that  this  is  one  of  his  descendants  ? " 

"  You  don't  mean,"  I  exclaimed,  "  that  the  rugged  soldier 
of  Sekigahara  was  the  ancestor  of  this  poor  child  ?  This  is 
a  rare  surprise." 

"  She  is  the  daughter  of  Miura,  our  vassal,"  answered 
Yone.  "I  thought  you  would  have  recognized  the 
name." 


1 88  YONE  SANTO: 

"And  so  I  ought;  I  heard  it  plainly  enough.  But  I 
could  not  associate  that  fragile,  delicate  creature  with  the 
marvelous  tale  you  told.  I  can't  quite  realize  it  even* 
now." 

"  Nor  I,"  said  Miss  Gibson.  "  It  brings  the  Middle/ 
Ages  close  within  our  reach  again.  It  is  wonderful." 

"  Not  to  me,"  Yone  responded.  "  In  my  youth,  Japan 
had  not  stirred  from  the  Middle  Ages.  Many  of  our  peo- 
ple still  belong  to  that  time  which  seems  to  you  so  far 
away.  Miura  was  one  who  might  have  lived  in  the  very 
days  of  lyeyasu." 

Mr.  Roberts  rose,  and  advanced  toward  us,  with  bewil- 
derment and  curiosity  in  his  eyes. 

"  If  you  could  let  me  into  the  secret,  I  should  take  it 
kindly.  I  haven't  an  idea  what  this  is  about." 

"  Nor  had  any  of  us  until  this  moment,  except  Mrs. 
Santo,"  I  answered.  "Shizu  Miura  is  the  lineal  descend- 
ant of  one  of  the  stalwart  old  heroes  of  Japanese  history. 
But  I  dare  say  you  are  not  particularly  interested  in  that. 
Go  on,  Yone,  with  what  concerns  Mr.  Roberts." 

"  You  shouldn't  say  that,  sir.  I  am  interested,  extremely 
interested,  in  all  that  relates  to  her.  It  is  strange  she  never 
spoke  to  me  of  her  parentage." 

Yone  looked  intently  at  him,  as  he  drew  his  chair  nearer 
and  resumed  his  seat. 

"  She  is  not  of  the  vulgar  rabble;  she  belongs  to  a  family 
of  singular  pride  and  reserve.  Though  their  rank  was  not 
lofty,  they  were  held  in  high  repute,  and  had  commanded 
the  respect  of  the  gentry  in  our  province  for  many  genera- 
tions,— I  can  almost  say  centuries.  Shizu  is  only  a  woman, 
but  the  blood  of  her  forefathers  runs  in  her  veins.  She 
has  fallen  very  low,  and  in  her  degradation  she  has  not  the 
heart  to  recall  the  scenes  of  the  past,  or  speak  of  the  time 
when  the  name  she  bears  was  honored  by  all.  I  do  not 
wonder  that  she  has  told  you  nothing  of  her  people.  In 
Owari  they  were  prosperous;  they  had  six  villages  assigned 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  189 

to  them  by  the  daimio,  from  which  their  income  came. 
Until  the  great  revolution,  when  Shizu  was  seven  years 
old,  they  were  almost  rich,  as  wealth  is  reckoned  in  Japan; 
then  they  lost  all.  They  came  to  Tokio,  thoughtlessly  and 
blindly,  and  the  change  was  fatal  to  the  simple  country 
gentleman.  It  was  as  if  he  had  stepped  from  a  forgotten 
age  into  an  unknown  land.  He  was  as  helpless  as  the  chil- 
dren he  brought  with  him.  Two  of  his  family  died  of 
hardship  and  privation  while  I  was  dwelling  near  them, 
and  before  my  marriage  took  me  to  a  distant  part  of  the 
city.  What  happened  afterward  I  learned  last  night. 
Crushed  by  calamities,  Miura  bent  down  his  haughty  head, 
^and  begged  for  employment  among  the  foreigners  whom 
he  disliked  and  feared.  He  offered  himself  as  a  servant, — 
'the  commonest  sort  of  a  servant,'  Mr.  Roberts;  it  was  all 
he  was  fit  for, — and  in  the  house  of  your  friend  in  Tsukiji 
he  found  a  chance  to  earn  a  little  money  by  the  roughest 
kind  of  toil." 

"  It  isn't  my  fault,"  Roberts  remonstrated,  "if  your  Jap- 
anese samurai,  as  you  call  them,  never  learned  to  make 
themselves  useful.  I  spoke  of  him  as  I  found  him,  when  I 
passed  a  fortnight  at  our  place  in  Tsukiji.  How  could  I 
know  ?  After  all,  he  made  a  living,  and  he  wasn't  badly 
treated — as  a  rule.  Have  you  heard  that  Mr.  Burgess  gave 
him  an  advance  of  wages,  to  get  him  out  of  some  scrape  ?" 

"  I  have  heard;  and  also  what  it  cost  Miura  to  ask  and 
accept  that  boon.  He  was  deeply  in  debt;  his  mother  was 
dying,  and  he  could  not  purchase  the  necessities  for  her 
comfort,  nor  call  a  physician  to  restore  her.  More  than  this, 
to  his  mind,  he  was  threatened  with  the  loss  of  an  article 
most  sacred  to  him.  It  was  to  redeem  this  precious  relic, — 
an  heirloom,  or  perhaps  a  talisman,  you  would  term  it, — 
that  he  placed  himself  under  obligation  to  his  master." 

"It  was  the  sword!"  cried  Miss  Gibson,  in  unwonted 
excitement. 

"  It  was  the  sword  with  which  his  ancestor  slew  himself 


I9o  YONE  SANTO: 

on  the  battle-field.  The  weapon  was  dearer  than  life  to  its 
humble  possessor.  It  cost  him  his  life,  indeed,  to  regain 
it." 

"How  is  that  possible?"  inquired  Roberts.  "I  don't 
see  any  connection." 

"  You  do  not  forget  the  letter  promising  repayment, 
which  he  brought  to  Mr.  Burgess  ?  " 

"  Certainly  not.  Burgess  had  it  translated,  and  thought 
the  man  was  making  game  of  him.  He  gave  him  a  terrific 
cuff.  Rather  hasty  it  was,  I  will  say,  though  Burgess  is  my 
senior  partner,  and  a  good  fellow  at  most  times,  in  spite  of 
his  hot  temper.  But  it  was  a  cranky  document,  you  must 
admit.  I  got  it  by  heart,  and  many  a  laugh  I  have  raised 
with  it,  since.  What  do  you  say  to  this,  Doctor  Charwell  ? 
'I,  the  inferior  Miura  Senzo,  have  borrowed  twenty  yen 
from  you,  the  honorable  Burgess  lord,  and  if  I  do  not  re- 
pay, you  have  my  full  permission  to  call  me  a  fool.'  " 

There  was  no  laugh  now  over  the  eccentric  acknowledge- 
ment. Yone's  gravity  was  a  check  upon  the  mirth  it  might 
ordinarily  have  provoked. 

"  It  was  the  only  method  of  binding  himself  that  he 
knew,"  she  explained.  "  He  was  completely  ignorant  of 
business,  and  the  best  he  could  do  was  to  make  use  of  a 
declaration  which  was  formerly  in  common  use,  and  which 
he  thought,  in  his  simplicity,  would  be  as  satisfactory  to  a 
foreigner  as  to  any  Japanese  who  knew  the  ancient  prac- 
tices." 

"  But  just  conceive  of  it,"  said  Roberts.  "  '  If  I  do  not 
repay,  you  may  call  me  a  fool.'  Burgess  took  it  for  granted 
that  he  was  chaffed,  and  he  never  could  stand  that,  even 
from  one  of  us.  What  do  you  make  of  it,  Doctor  Char- 
well?" 

"  I  have  seen  hundreds  of  these  old-fashioned  bonds,"  I 
replied,  "  and  they  all  seem  to  be  based  upon  the  peculiar 
Japanese  sense  of  honor.  A  samurai  would  suffer  anything 
rather  than  to  submit  to  insult.  Nothing  worse  could  hap- 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  191 

pen  to  him  than  to  receive  an  opprobrious  epithet  without 
the  power  to  resent  it,  and  in  these  quaint  pledges  the 
signer  put  himself  more  absolutely  at  the  mercy  of  the 
creditor  than  would  be  possible  by  any  proffer  of  material 
security.  The  language,  you  should  understand,  is  not  so 
richly  endowed  as  ours,  with  terms  of  offense.  Miura 
selected  one  of  the  very  few  abusive  words  that  it  contains, 
—perhaps  the  most  abusive.  The  whole  proceeding  was  a 
survival  of  the  feudal  customs;  quite  incomprehensible,  I 
take  it,  to  the  practical  experience  of  Messrs.  Fitch,  Bur- 
gess, and  Roberts." 

"  You  may  say  that,  and  a  good  deal  more.  I  never  ex- 
pect to  get  inside  the  heads  of  these  people.  But  I  was 
sorry  Burgess  hit  him,  and  I  didn't  hesitate  to  say  so  when 
I  picked  him  up, — for  he  was  knocked  quite  flat.  I  took  him 
to  my  room,  and  gave  him  a  drink.  He  seemed  to  need  it; 
his  face  was  ghastly, — not  white,  but  a  sort  of  sickly  green. 
His  hand  shook  so  that  he  could  hardly  hold  the  glass.  I 
really  imagined  he  was  badly  injured,  until  the  next  night, 
when  he  showed  what  sound  stuff  he  was  made  of.  He 
couldn't  have  felt  it  much." 

"  It  was  his  death-blow,"  said  Yone,  in  a  tone  that 
chilled  us  who  knew  her,  and  the  solemnity  of  which 
quelled  the  rattling  vivacity  of  the  Yokohama  tradesman. 
"  The  bruises,  the  hurts  to  his  body,  were  nothing,  but  his 
manhood  was  destroyed.  He  could  not  avenge  himself, 
for  a  samurai  must  not  attack  the  master  with  whom  he  has 
taken  service.  If  that  were  possible,  there  would  be  many 
tragedies  in  the  homes  of  foreigners.  Moreover,  he  had 
accepted  and  used  the  twenty  yen,  and  with  that  obligation 
hanging  over  him  his  hands  were  doubly  tied.  But  his 
spirit  was  utterly  broken.  He  went  to  his  little  residence 
in  Asabu,  where  his  mother  lay  dying,  and  told  her  and  his 
daughter  -what  had  befallen  him;  and  then  it  was  that 
Shizu  resolved  upon  the  sacrifice  which  the  women  of  my 
country  are  expected  to  make,  in  the  extremest  need,  on  be- 


IQ2  YONE  SANTO: 

half  of  those  to  whom  they  owe  obedience.  She  would 
have  taken  this  course  before,  if  her  education,  by  Ameri- 
can teachers,  had  not  given  her  new  views  of  duty.  Now 
there  was  no  influence  to  restrain  her,  and  she  determined 
to  avail  herself  of  the  last  resource." 

"  In  the  name  of  reason,"  Roberts  exclaimed,  "how  am 
I  to  take  this  ?  You  wouldn't  mislead  me,  but  are  you  sure 
you  haven't  been  misled  yourself  ?  What  do  you  say,  Doctor  ? 
This  sounds  like  a  horrid  chapter  from  the  Tales  of  Old 
Japan." 

"Naturally  it  does,"  I  answered;  "the  Tales  of  Old 
Japan  are  literally  true.  I  should  rejoice  to  believe  there 
was  anything  extraordinary  in  what  she  tells  us.  You  are 
amazed  only  because  it  is  the  first  time  that  such  facts  are 
brought  home  to  you." 

"And  to  me,"  sighed  Miss  Gibson;  "to  me  it  is  all  as 
strange  as  it  is  terrible." 

"  I  have  little  more  to  say,"  Yone  resumed;  "but  to  you 
who  are  unfamiliar  with  the  habits  and  sentiments  of  my 
people,  the  end  will  be  an  additional  surprise.  You  re- 
member, Mr.  Roberts,  how  the  midnight  robbery  of  the 
house  in  Tsukiji  was  prevented  ? " 

"  Every  particular:  it  was  Miura  who  gave  the  warning. 
Burgess  didn't  half  believe  in  it,  though  the  burglars  had 
raided  every  third  compound  in  the  settlement,  he  told  me. 
It  had  an  odd  appearance  that  a  servant  should  know  ex- 
actly what  they  were  projecting." 

"  They  looked  to  Miura  for  assistance.  News  flies  with 
magical  swiftness  among  the  poor  classes  in  Tokio,  and 
the  abuse  he  had  undergone  was  talked  of  throughout  the 
foreign  quarter.  The  thieves,  who  had  made  themselves  a 
terror  to  the  neighborhood,  were  confident  that  he  would 
welcome  the  opportunity.  They  knew  the  stock  of  which 
he  came,  and  offered  to  make  him  their  leader,  but  they 
understood  only  a  part  of  his  character.  He  had  one  rule 
of  life,  and  he  never  abandoned  it.  Before  bidding  his 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  193 

mother  and  daughter  farewell,  on  that  last  day,  he  said,  *  I 
shall  leave  no  debt  to  be  charged  against  me.  That  will 
be  wiped  away  by  the  service  I  shall  perform  this  night. 
If  there  is  danger  for  my  master  and  his  friends,  I  will  de- 
fend them.  There  is  one  among  them  whom  I  shall  be 
glad  to  keep  from  harm,  for  he  has  a  true  heart,  and  he 
soothed  me  with  kind  words  when  I  was  beaten  like  a 
dog.' " 

"  Do  you  think  he  meant  me  ?  " 

"  It  was  of  you  he  spoke.     Shizu  has  never  forgotten  it." 

"  Poor  fellow, — poor  fellow  !  And  she  would  not  tell 
me." 

"I  have  said  that  she  has  the  pride  of  her  race;  and  be- 
sides, we  are  always  doubtful  how  foreigners  will  receive  the 
things  which  affect  us  most  deeply.  But  I  do  not  hesi- 
tate to  tell  you.  I  wish  you  to  know  all:  how  Miura,  with 
fierce  hatred  in  his  heart  toward  the  master  who  had  put 
deadly  shame  upon  him,  was  steadfast  to  his  honor;  how 
by  the  courageous  performance  of  a  duty  he  freed  himself, 
as  he  believed,  from  a  burden  of  obligation  which  he  had 
no  other  means  of  removing." 

"  Why  do  you  say  '  no  other  means '  ?  It  was  only  a  few 
months'  wages,  at  the  outside.  But  there  would  have  been 
no  question  of  that  paltry  sum,  if  he  had  lived.  He  could 
have  had  anything  he  wanted  from  Burgess,  or  from  me, 
after  his  gallant  fight,  that  night.  He  settled  the  beggarly 
gang,  and  drove  them  away,  almost  single-handed;  the 
other  servants  did  nothing  but  run  about  and  howl." 

"  They  were  not  samurai,"  said  Yone. 

"  We  had  no  idea  he  was  so  much  hurt;  he  was  steady 
enough,  to  look  at,  after  it  was  over,  though  he  said  he 
must  go  home.  He  even  talked  of  walking,  and  declared 
the  slashes  in  his  side  amounted  to  nothing,  but  I  wouldn't 
hear  of  that.  I  put  him  into  a  norimono,  and  he  thanked 
me  with  a  smile.  I  don't  think  I  ever  saw  him  smile  but 
that  once;  he  was  a  gloomy  sort, — well  he  might  be,  con- 


I94  YONE  SANTO: 

sidering  what  he  had  gone  through.  When  we  went  to  look 
after  him,  the  next  day,  it  was  all  over.  Burgess  was  very 
much  cut  up;  he  offered  to  do  anything  for  the  old  woman 
and  Shizu,  but  they  wouldn't  have  it, — actually  turned  their 
backs  upon  him.  The  girl  said  she  had  plenty  of  money 
coming  to  her;  but  when  I  learned  where  it  was  coming 
from,  and  what  it  was  for,  I  had  to  interfere.  It  was  too 
monstrous." 

"They  did  not  refuse  you,  Mr.  Roberts." 

"No,  no;  I  am  thankful  they  didn't, — more  thankful  to- 
day than  I  ever  was  before.  Still,  they  wouldn't  let  me  do 
the  half  of  what  I  wished  to.  I  undertook  to  spend  any 
reasonable  amount  in  hunting  down  the  murderers,  but 
they  went  on  their  knees  and  begged  me  not  to  say  another 
word  upon  the  subject.  That  was  one  thing  I  never  could 
make  out." 

"  Murderers  !  There  were  none.  The  wounds  which 
the  robbers  gave  were  trifles.  Miura  Senzo  killed  himself 
with  the  same  sword  that  had  ended  Kitasaburo's  life, 
nearly  three  hundred  years  before." 

There  was  no  response,  and  for  a  minute  the  dead  silence 
in  our  little  parlor  was  unbroken.  The  revelation  was  not 
unexpected  by  me,  and  I  think  Miss  Gibson  had  partly 
foreshadowed  what  was  to  come;  but  Roberts  was  as- 
tounded. He  stared  straight  before  him  like  one  bound  by 
a  spell,  until  Yone  rose  and  approached  him,  apparently  to 
study  his  countenance;  for  the  sun  had  set  behind  the  high 
Hakone  hills,  and  the  light  was  dim.  Then  he  rose  like- 
wise, not  without  an  effort,  and  .  leaned  heavily  upon  the 
back  of  his  chair,  as  if  a  sudden  dizziness  had  overmastered 
him. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Roberts,  you  have  heard  the  truth,  all  the 
truth,  about  my  friend.  You  know  what  her  father  was, 
what  she  is,  and  by  what  fearful  necessity  she  was  driven 
to  the  position  for  which  you  despise  her  " — 

"I  don't  despise  her,"  he  interrupted;  "I  never 
despised  her.  I  was  a  brute  to  hint  at  it." 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  195 

Yone  lifted  her  hand  to  stem  the  torrent  of  protestation 
he  was  ready  to  pour  forth. 

"  Will  you  now  refuse  to  release  her  ? "  she  inquired. 

"  I  will  do  anything  in  the  world;  only  let  me  be  sure  it 
is  for  her  good.  If  you  say  so — if  she  says  so  " — 

"We  do  say  it." 

"After  all,  you  have  no  need  of  my  consent;  there  is 
nothing  to  chain  her." 

"  She  cannot  leave  you  without  it;  she  is  your  servant. 
She  owes  you  what  she  lives  upon,  from  day  to  day.  She 
is  in  your  debt  for  the  comforts  you  gave  her  mother,  while 
that  poor  woman  lingered,  and  for  the  graves  in  which  her 
parents  rest.  She  is  bound  to  you  for  your  kindness  to 
her  father,  and  for  your  benevolence  in  saving  her  from 
the  lowest  misery.  She  cannot  break  away,  unless  you 
consent." 

"  Don't — don't  talk  to  me  in  that  way,"  said  Roberts,  in 
a  quavering  voice;  "  I  can't  stand  it.  Don't  you  see  there's 
another  side  to  the  bargain  ?  Do  I  owe  her  nothing  ?  I 
must  get  out  of  this.  Doctor  Charwell,  is  it  too  much  to 
ask  you  to  walk  to  Fuji-ya  with  me?  I  am  still  in  the  dark, 
here  and  there,  and  you  can  enlighten  me." 

"  I  have  your  promise  ?  "  Yone  urged. 

"You  have;  anything  that  is  for  her  good.  I  will  not 
keep  her  a  day,  if  she  wishes  to  go.  Give  me  till  to-mor- 
row to  think  about  it.  I'll  not  disappoint  you,  Mrs.  Santo; 
you  are  a  good  woman." 

XXVI. 

YONE'S  TRIUMPH. 

I  WENT  with  Roberts  to  the  hotel,  but  this  did  not  con- 
tent him,  and  in  the  evening  he  came  again  to  the  temple, 
eager  to  be  made  acquainted  with  the  antecedent  history  of 
Shizu's  family,  of  which  he  had  caught  only  glimpses  dur- 


196  YONE  SANTO: 

ing  the  afternoon  interview.  Although  he  had  dwelt  sev- 
eral years  upon  the  soil  of  Japan,  his  associations,  like 
those  of  his  class  in  general,  had  been  almost  exclusively 
alien,  and  this  was  his  first  introduction  to  the  realities  of 
Japanese  life  and  character.  He  was  much  impressed  by 
finding  himself  enveloped  in  an  atmosphere  of  antiquity 
which  he  had  always  considered  to  be  far  beyond  his  range, 
and  which  he  had  regarded  as  belonging,  if  not  to  the  re- 
gion of  fable,  at  least  to  an  ideal  and  insubstantial  sphere, 
with  which  he  could  never  be  brought  into  relationship. 
Being  a  Scotchman,  however,  his  imagination  did  not 
utterly  revolt  at  the  contemplation  of  extravagances  which 
would  probably  have  thrown  the  average  mercantile  mind 
of  Yokohama  off  its  balance.  Familiarity  with  the  legends 
of  his  own  country  assisted  him  to  comprehend  the  clannish 
devotion,  the  exaggerated  sense  of  personal  honor,  and  the 
stern  fatalism  of  the  samurai,  even  though  his  faith  in  the 
solid  proprieties  of  the  nineteenth  century  forbade  him  to 
approve  these  qnalities.  His  final  judgment  of  Miura 
Senzo  was  summed  up  in  a  series  of  observations,  to  the 
effect  that  of  course  he  was  crazy,  and  it  seemed  impossible 
for  a  man  imbued  with  the  ideas  of  Japanese  chivalry  to  be 
anything  else;  that  his  notion  of  rushing  to  suicide  as  the 
suitable  solace  for  a  bodily  indignity  was  reconcilable  only 
with  a  madness  exceeding  the  proper  allotment  of  an  army 
of  hatters  and  a  wilderness  of  March  hares;  but  his  pluck 
was  magnificent,  even  if  wofully  misapplied,  and  his  respec- 
tability was  guaranteed  by  a  pedigree  of  the  length  of 
which  a  Highland  chief  need  not  be  ashamed.  Roberts 
made  no  attempt  to  conceal  his  altered  estimate  of  the 
daughter,  regarding  her  as  the  last  representative  of  an 
ancient  family,  and  the  legitimate  bearer  of  a  hereditary 
crest,  the  significance  of  which  he  had  never  suspected, 
but  which  he  now  chose  to  consider  a  badge  of  aristocratic 
distinction,  conferring  upon  its  owner  attributes  not  dis- 
similar to  those  of  a  titular  nobility. 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  197 

He  announced,  on  the  following  day,  that  he  was  willing 
to  accede  to  Yone's  solicitations,  being  convinced  that  they 
were  earnestly  seconded  by  Shizu,  but  it  was  evident  that  the 
concession  had  cost  him  a  severe  struggle.  "  I  couldn't 
have  believed  that  any  one  would  have  brought  me  to  this," 
he  averred;  "but  I  see  she  has  the  right  to  dispose  of  her 
future,  and  I'll  not  stand  in  her  way.  It  will  be  hard  on 
the  children;  they  are  mightily  fond  of  her,  as  well  they 
may  be.  And  so  am  I.  What  a  fraud  it  is  for  me  to  talk 
about  the  children  !  I  shall  be  the  biggest  baby  of  the  lot, 
when  she  goes."  He  at  first  insisted  upon  making  her  an 
allowance, —  settling  a  pension  on  her,  he  termed  it, — 
affirming  that  it  was  done  every  day,  and  that  it  would  be 
shabby  for  him  to  permit  her  to  go  out  into  the  world  un- 
provided for;  but  this  was  resolutely  resisted  by  Yone,  to 
whose  influence  he  submitted  with  remarkable  pliancy. 
Upon  another  point,  however,  he  was  less  tractable.  He 
assumed  that  he  and  his  offspring  were  to  maintain  friendly 
communications  with  the  young  girl  so  long  as  his  affairs 
should  keep  him  in  Japan,  and  warmly  resented  the  propo- 
sition that  every  tie  should  be  definitely  and  permanently 
sundered.  His  perverse  obstinacy  would  have  worn  out 
the  patience  of  most  people,  but  Yone  had  good  reasons, 
as  we  presently  discovered,  for  dealing  gently  with  him, 
and  allowing  his  irritability  no  opportunity  to  assert  itself. 
After  hours  of  ineffectual  persuasion,  at  the  end  of  which  it 
seemed  inevitable  that  she  should  either  succumb  or  risk  a 
rupture  of  the  negotiations,  she  asked  to  speak  with  him 
privately,  and  led  him  to  a  far-off  corner  of  the  building, 
beyond  sight  or  hearing  of  Miss  Gibson  and  myself.  Here, 
imposing  secrecy  upon  him,  and  appealing  to  his  humanity 
to  keep  her  friend,  especially,  in  ignorance  of  what  she  was 
about  to  impart,  she  put  forward  her  last  and  most  pathetic 
plea. 

It  was  very  simple  and  ingenuous.     Ardent  gratitude  had 
been  the  first  sentiment  awakened  in  Shizu's   heart  by  the 


198  YONE  SANTO  : 

young  man's  generous  intercession  at  the  most  critical 
moment  of  her  destiny,  but  the  unexpected  sympathy  which 
she  received  in  her  subsequent  bereavement  and  loneliness 
had  drawn  her  more  tenderly  to  him,  and  the  attachment 
she  already  felt  promised  to  become  intense  and  absorbing, 
if  the  separation  were  not  made  complete  and  absolute.  It 
was  for  him  to  decide  whether  she  should  be  subjected,  in 
her  new  career,  to  a  more  painful  trial  than  any  she  had  yet 
endured,  with  the  certainty  of  a  perpetual  and  ever-increas- 
ing sorrow  hanging  over  her,  or  be  left  free  for  time  to 
efface  all  disturbing  recollections.  What  forms  of  argu- 
ment or  exhortation  Yone  employed  I  never  knew,  but  it 
was  not  long  before  their  effect  was  made  manifest  in  an 
unlooked-for  way.  The  young  merchant  presented  him- 
self before  us,  with  a  bearing  and  aspect  so  diametrically 
opposite  to  those  with  which  he  had  made  us  familiar  as 
to  suggest  that  he  had  undergone  some  radical  process  of 
moral  transformation.  Miss  Gibson  was  later  heard  to  de- 
clare that  his  attitude,  at  this  crisis,  was  "  most  interest- 
ing; "  but  my  more  critical  scrutiny  detected  nothing  that 
could  identify  .the  pert,  underbred,  colonial  tradesman, 
even  in  appearance,  with  a  typical  hero  of  romance.  He 
was  surprisingly  subdued,  however,  and  seemed  for  the 
moment  to  have  forgotten  that  aggressive  arrogance  was 
one  of  the  features  of  his  role  as  a  commercial  civilizer  of 
the  far  East.  In  fact,  he  seemed  to  have  forgotten  every- 
thing but  his  determination  to  show  that  there  was  a  manly 
side  to  his  character,  and  that  he  was  capable  of  acting  up 
to  it. 

"  Do  you  know  what  she  wants  me  to  do  ? "  he  asked. 
"She  hasn't  proposed  it,  but  I  have  seen  it  working  in  her 
mind  for  the  last  half  hour.  It  isn't  to  jump  down  into 
the  crater  of  Fujiyama:  oh,  no;  that  would  be  easy,  in  com- 
parison. She  wants  me  to  make  myself  the  laughing-stock 
of  Yokohama, — don't  contradict  me,  Mrs.  Santo;  that's  just 
what  it  is:  to  walk  into  the  British  consul's  office,  and  tell 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  igc, 

him  to  draw  up  a  matrimonial  contract  between  Archibald 
Roberts,  of  Scotland,  and  Shizu  Miura,  of  Japan.  That's 
the  upshot  of  it,  Miss  Gibson;  that's  what  I  must  do  to 
please  her,  Doctor  Charwell." 

He  had  commenced  in  a  querulous  and  plaintive  strain, 
but  raised  his  voice  as  he  proceeded,  until  the  last  words 
were  almost  shouted.  Miss  Gibson  had  nothing  to  say; 
she  was  too  astonished.  I  was  not  less  so,  but  the  impulse 
seized  me  to  conceal  the  fact,  and  to  accept  his  announce- 
ment as  a  simple  matter  of  course. 

"  If  that  is  what  you  must  do,"  I  said  quietly,  "you  had 
better  set  about  it  at  once." 

"  I  intend  to,"  he  replied,  moderating  his  tone.  "  I 
won't  disappoint  Mrs.  Santo;  she  is  too  good  a  woman  for 
that.  And  she  is  one  who  will  not  laugh  at  me,  no  matter 
what  everybody  else  does." 

"  Laugh  at  you  !  "  exclaimed  Yone,  with  a  beautiful  light 
in  her  eyes,  "  I  do  not  understand  what  you  mean.  I  re- 
spect and  honor  you,  and  it  makes  me  happy  to  know  you 
will  be  rewarded  for  your  goodness  and  your  courage.  Ah, 
yes,  you  will  be  rewarded,  Mr.  Roberts;  have  no  doubt  of 
that." 

"  I  have  no  doubt  of  anything,  when  you  tell  it  to  me. 
Don't  I  say  you  are  a  good  woman  ?  You  look  like  the 
others,  but  there's  a  difference,  is  there  not,  Miss  Gibson. 
I'm  not  so  sure  that  she's  a  woman  at  all.  You  have  put  a 
European  frock  upon  her  shoulders,  but  I  don't  believe 
it  fits  them,  any  more  than  her  kimono.  You  won't  find  the 
garment  to  suit  her  in  your  fashion-plates;  no  room  for 
wings  in  any  of  them.  I  suppose  they  have  wings,  the 
Japanese  kind,  just  the  same  as  ours.  Never  mind,  Mrs. 
Santo;  you  can't  take  in  my  poor  jests,  and  you  don't  need 
wings  to  convince  me  how  good  you  are." 

After  he  had  left  us,  to  break  the  great  news  to  Shizu, 
and  to  make  ready  for  his  own  immediate  return  to  Yoko- 
hama, Miss  Gibson  thought  it  expedient  to  dilate  upon  this 
farewell  burst  of  rhetoric. 


200  YONE  SANTO: 

"  He  may  not  be  the  cleverest  of  men,"  she  remarked, 
"  but  he  has  learned  how  to  turn  a  compliment  more  grace- 
fully than  when  he  mistook  our  Yone  for  a  nurse.  Let 
me  explain  it  to  you,  dear." 

"It  is  not  necessary,"  said  Yone,  lifting  her  hand  to  her 
face,  and  looking  at  us  through  her  parted  fingers  with 
what  was,  for  her,  quite  a  creditable  attempt  at  roguishness. 

"  Then  you  did  understand  him  !  How  do  you  dare  to 
know  what  such  things  mean  ?  I  thought  that  they  were 
far  beyond — that  you  were  far  beyond  their  comprehension." 

"  Why  should  you  ? "  I  demanded,  with  austerity.  "  The 
meaning  of  flattery  is  the  first  thing  a  vain  girl  learns  in 
any  language,  and  this  is  the  vainest  girl  in  all  Japan. 
You  will  find  it  out  in  good  time,  Miss  Gibson.  But  I  beg 
you  to  believe  that  I  never  taught  her  such  absurdities." 

"  They  are  very  pretty,  those  absurdities,"  replied  Yone. 
"  We  seldom  hear  them  in  this  country,  but  it  is  pleasant  to 
be  praised, — in  earnest, — even  if  not  true." 

"  It  is  true  enough,"  I  rejoined.  "  I  have  been  telling 
you,  for  years,  what  you  really  are.  Witches  have  wings, 
you  know,  as  well  as  other  flighty  supernatural  creatures. 
No  genuine,  authentic  witch  would  be  admitted  to  practice 
without  them." 

"  For  shame  !  "  cried  Miss  Gibson.  "  Yone,  do  not  listen 
to  him." 

"Would  you  have  me  believe  that  anything  short  of 
witchcraft  could  take  the  conceit  out  of  a  Yokohama  shop- 
keeper, a  British  shop-keeper  in  Japan,  and  convert  him 
into  the  semblance  of  a  human  being?  Come  here,  my 
little  girl,  and  let  me  look  straight  at  you.  Hold  up  your 
head,  like  the  best  of  small  children.  There,  that  will  do. 
Now  !  Miss  Gibson  may  give  you  what  name  she  likes, 
and  so  may  Mr.  Roberts,  but  nobody  can  be  more  contented 
with  you  than  I,  or  happier  in  )-our  charming  success. 
Shall  I  call  it  a  miracle  ?  Shall  1  say  you  are  a  magician  ? 
Do  you  want  me  to  tell  you  what  I  truly  think  of  you,  at 
this  moment, — the  whole  of  it  ?" 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  201 

"  No,  dear  Doctor;  I  am  afraid  you  would  say  something 
to  make  my  eyes  dim,  and  that  is  not  the  way  to  end  this 
joyful  day." 

"  I  should  think  not.  Tears  at  a  jubilee  ?  Never;  we 
will  hold  high  festival, — nothing  less.  You,  Miss  Gibson, 
shall  hang  out  banners  and  lanterns,  and  ring  the  temple 
bells,  if  the  priests  permit,  while  I  wend  forth,  and  summon' 
two  guests  to  banquet  in  state  this  eve.  Since  Shizu  is  to 
join  our  party,  we  may  wisely  expedite  her  coming.  Of 
course  she  will  remain  in  our  care  until  Mrs.  Roberts's 
mansion  is  ready  for  her  reception,  in  the  foreign  cosmop- 
olis  which  she  and  her  husband  will  inhabit.  Let  us  go 
for  them,  Yone,  at  once.  Miss  Gibson  will  welcome  our 
reappearance  with  salutes  of  grape  and  canister, — . 
grape  in  fermented  and  other  forms,  and  canisters 
replete  with  succulent  viands.  We  will  respond  with 
detonating  engines  from  the  cellars  of  Fuji-ya,  admirable 
for  their  explosive  properties,  if  not  entirely  trustworthy 
with  respect  to  the  beverages  they  contain.  We  will  cele- 
brate with  pomp  and  circumstance,  to  the  utmost  extent  of 
Miyanoshita's  resources,  and  the  ides  of  May  shall  be  re- 
corded in  our  private  annals,  and  commemorated  forever 
as  the  anniversary  of  Yone's  triumph." 

XXVII. 

ft 

THE    CRAFT    OF    INNOCENCE. 

FROM  that  time  Shizu  Miura  was  transferred  to  our  care, 
under  which  she  continued  during  the  short  remainder  of 
our  excursion.  Upon  the  very  day  of  her  arrival  among 
us,  a  subtle  change  was  apparent  in  Yone's  demeanor,  the 
nature  of  which  may  be  indicated  by  the  circumstance  that 
at  the  same  time  she  put  aside  the  foreign  garments  she  had 
been  wearing  at  Miss  Gibson's  desire,  and  resumed  the  na- 
tive dress,  with  all  its  characteristic  accessories.  Her  deli- 


202  YOKE  SANTO: 

cate  tact  was  so  much  a  matter  of  instinct  that  I  am  not 
sure  she  could  have  explained  with  precision  the  reasons 
which  prompted  her  to  this  proceeding.  It  needed  but 
little  observation,  however,  to  discover  that  she  was  anxious 
to  establish  the  closest  possible  connection  between  herself 
and  the  object  of  her  solicitude,  and  to  discard  every  out- 
ward sign  or  token  that  might  convey  the  slightest  suspicion 
of  contrast.  There  was  no  great  difficulty  in  accomplish- 
ing this  end.  Although  unlike  in  countenance,  the  two  girls 
were  strikingly  similar  in  bearing  and  manner.  In  all  their 
movements,  in  their  attitudes  and  gestures,  there  was  a 
suggestion  of  perfect  unity.  Even  in  speech  they  appeared 
to  reflect  one  another.  But  the  insufficient  development  of 
many  qualities  in  our  new  guest  disturbed  the  complete- 
ness of  the  identity.  She  often  produced  upon  us  the 
effect  of  a  shadowy  and  immature  reproduction  of  the  vivid 
reality  with  which  we  were  familiar.  Her  gentleness  could 
scarcely  have  exceeded  Yone's,  but  the  subdued  reserve 
which  seemed  to  impart  a  natural  grace  to  the  one  took  the 
form,  in  the  other,  of  a  shrinking  timidity,  that  could  be 
overcome  only  by  strenuous  effort.  Her  voice,  when  she 
spoke  English,  was  so  low  as  to  be  almost  inaudible,  and 
while  her  vocabulary  was  abundant  and  apt,  like  that  of 
most  Japanese  who  study  foreign  languages  in  earnest,  her 
utterance  was  hesitating  and  slow. 

In  spite  of  the  few  points  of  variance,  there  were  periods 
when  Shizu  was  so  nearly  the  image  of  her  friend  as  to 
make  Miss  Gibson  keenly,  and  not  always  agreeably,  con- 
scious of  the  resemblance.  She  would  have  been  better 
pleased  if  the  difference  had  been  more  marked.  I  must 
say,  in  her  behalf,  that  she  struggled  valiantly  to  conceal 
every  vestige  of  the  disfavor  with  .which  she  had  originally 
regarded  the  hapless  child,  and  to  extend  the  charity  and 
sympathy  which  she  knew  were  due;  but  her  judgment  was 
controlled  by  the  training  and  the  associations  of  her  whole 
life,  and  could  not  be  easily  moved  to  a  thoroughly  just 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  203 

consideration  of  the  question  now  suddenly  brought  before 
her.  She  could  be  pitiful,  and  she  thought  herself  lenient, 
but  she  could  go  no  farther.  I  had  no  right  to  blame  her. 
Knowing  as  absolutely  as  I  did  that  Shizu's  sorrows  entitled 
her  to  a  commiseration  far  deeper  than  should  be  given  to 
the  less  severely  tried,  I  nevertheless  felt  myself  incapable 
of  viewing  her  in  the  same  light  as  those  who  had  been 
spared  the  most  cruel  ignominies;  and  if  I,  who  believed 
my  reason  to  be  unobscured  by  pusillanimous  prejudice, 
was  forced  to  acknowledge  this  sense  of  treachery  to  my 
principles,  it  was  clearly  not  my  privilege  to  criticise  the 
shortcomings  of  another. 

It  is  satisfactory  to  remember,  however,  that  no  lack  of 
kindly  or  hospitable  warmth  was  perceptible,  either  by  our 
visitor  or  by  her  young  protectress.  The  idea  that  any 
human  being  could  withhold  the  fullest  measure  of  generous 
friendliness,  at  such  a  moment  and  under  such  conditions, 
would,  indeed,  have  been  beyond  the  range  of  Yone's 
comprehension.  The  slight  disturbance  in  Miss  Gibson's 
mind  was  manifest  to  me,  probably,  because  I  shared  it,  in 
a  limited  degree.  In  all  that  related  to  Shizu's  future  wel- 
fare the  American  girl's  interest  was  zealous  and  unwearied. 
After  Roberts's  departure  for  Yokohama,  on  the  day  fol- 
lowing our  improvised  banquet,  she  let  fall  sundry  observa- 
tions implying  disquietude  and  doubt  respecting  his  sincer- 
ity of  purpose.  I  was  glad  to  put  her  at  ease  on  the  most 
essential  point. 

"  He  will  keep  his  promise,"  I  assured  her.  "  I  have  his 
signature  to  certain  papers  which  are  sufficient  to  bind  him. 
But  these  will  not  be  needed.  He  is  a  man  to  be  trusted, 
when  he  has  given  his  word,  and  he  has  pluck  enough — or 
obstinacy  enough,  if  you  choose — to  withstand  the  derision 
he  will  have  to  encounter.  His  jaw  bears  witness  to  that. 
I  don't  mean  his  jackdaw  chatter,  but  his  chin.  He  will  not 
give  up  a  thing  he  has  set  his  mind  to." 

"  I  am  rejoiced  to  believe  it,"  said  Miss  Gibson:  "  it  is  a 
happy  stroke  of  fortune  for  her." 


204  YONE  SANTO: 

If  I  agreed  with  her,  as  to  which  I  was  not  definitely  sat- 
isfied, it  did  not  please  me  to  avow  it  too  cordially. 

"Possibly,"  I  replied:  "she  will  be  comfortably  estab- 
lished, after  a  fashion,  and  I  suppose  he  will  not  abuse 
her." 

"  Doctor,  I  think  you  really  try  to  be  unfair.  As  I  view 
it,  he  has  shown  a  fine  spirit,  and  Shizu  ought  to  be  proud 
of  the  position  he  will  give  her." 

"  I  dare  say  she  will  be,  but  I  don't  admit  that  she  ought 
to  be,  by  any  means.  What  is  he  ?  A  third  or  fourth  rate 
colonial  tradesman;  a  petty  shopman  and  a  snob.  It  is 
hard  lines  when  we  have  to  congratulate  ourselves  that  we 
are  dealing  with  a  snob,  but  that  is  just  our  case.  Nothing 
struck  him  so  forcibly  as  the  discovery  that  the  girl  belongs 
to  an  old  family.  You  saw  that  his  exaggerated  notion  of 
her  former  station  influenced  him  more  than  any  other 
detail.  Our  deft  little  mediator  builded  wiser  than  she 
knew,  when  she  brought  forward  the  family  records.  I  am 
afraid  it  all  turned  upon  that  opportune  revelation.  Don't 
look  so  reproachfully  at  me.  Let  me  test  your  real  estimate 
of  this  worthy  gentleman.  How  would  it  affect  you  if  the 
circumstances  were  such  as  to  allow  an  attractive  and  eligi- 
ble suitor  of  the  same  stamp  to  honor  Yone  with  his 
addresses  ? " 

"  Doctor !  How  can  you  dream  of  anything  so  hor- 
rible?" 

"  Precisely;  that  tells  the  whole  story.  Never  mind;  it 
might  be  worse.  I  don't  deny  that  he  is  many  heads  and 
shoulders  above  the  average  of  his  tribe.  If  I  were  not 
convinced  of  this,  and  if  Shizu's  silly  little  heart  had  not 
somehow  fastened  itself  to  him,  I  should  have  opposed  the 
whole  proceeding.  My  plan  was  to  set  up  the  school  that 
Yone  has  been  longing  for,  and  let  the  two  take  charge  of 
it  together.  I  do  not  like  to  see  my  sober,  wholesome  pro- 
jects overturned  by  a  juvenile  match-maker." 

"  Surely  this  is  better,  in  every  way." 


A    CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  205 

"Oh,  well,  he  doesn't  appear  to  be  an  utter  brute,  like 
the  majority,  and  she  will  not  be  maltreated.  What  I  hope 
is  that  he  will  shut  up  shop  in  that  den  of  thieves,  and  carry 
her  away  to  Europe.  And  that  is  what  I  expect.  He  can 
hardly  stand  the  pressure  of  mockery,  here,  year  after 
year.  His  associates  will  never  forgive  him  for  being  a 
better  man  than  themselves.  He  will  be  jeered  at  wherever 
he  shows  his  face.  The  newspapers  will  print  swinish 
paragraphs  about  him  and  his  wife.  They  will  call  him 
1  sentimental,'  and  that  breaks  the  back  of  any  commercial 
camel  in  this  part  of  the  world.  A  foreigner  in  Japan  may 
be  guilty  of  almost  any  infamy, — he  may  lie,  cheat,  steal, 
forge,  pulverize  the  ten  commandments,  and  hold  up  his 
head  in  impudent  defiance  of  popular  opinion  and  consular 
law;  but  let  him  exhibit  a  spark  of  feeling  for  the  natives 
of  this  land,  and  he  is  made  the  scoff  of  the  *  settlements.' 
If  he  persists,  he  becomes  an  outcast.  In  the  last  extrem- 
ity he  is  branded  as  -  sentimental,'  and  then  his  doom  is 
sealed,  for  that  means  ostracism.  I  think  our  friend  Rob- 
ers  has  a  good  deal  of  the  bull-dog  in  him,  but  he  has  other 
qualities  as  well,  and,  unless  I  am  in  error,  it  will  not  be 
long  before  an  unappeasable  homesickness  takes  possession 
of  him.  I  trust  he  can  afford  to  yield  to  it.  Home  is  the 
place  for  him  and  his,  hereafter.  As  soon  as  he  gets  there, 
he  will  begin  vaporing  about  his  high-born  Oriental  bride. 
Let  him  alone  to  make  the  most  of  that  glory.  Of  course 
she  will  have  a  title, — princess,  probably, — but  he  need  not 
trouble  himself  with  that  matter;  every  Japanese  girl  be- 
comes a  princess  the  instant  she  touches  European  or 
American  soil." 

Yone  entered  the  room  while  I  was  saying  these  last 
words.  She  looked  searchingly  at  me,  as  if  my  observation 
had  a  special  interest  for  her. 

"  May  I  ask  if  you  were  speaking  of  a  princess  ?  "  she 
inquired. 

"Not  a  real  one,"  I  answered;  "only  a  princess  of  the 


206  YOXE  SANTO  ; 

mind,  a  false  creation,  like  the  dagger  of  another  distin- 
guished Scotchman.     Nothing  to  be  in  awe  of." 

"  I  wonder  if  it  is  the  same,"  she  continued.  "  Have  you 
seen  Miss  Jackman  ?  " 

"  No,  indeed;  has  she  turned  princess  ?" 

"You  have  not  heard  from  her?  " 

"  She  has  left  us  in  complete  ignorance  of  her  presence 
here." 

"  That  will  not  be  for  long.  I  must  tell  you  she  has 
been  urging  me,  for  several  days,  whenever  I  have  met  her, 
to  visit  Tanegasima-san,  at  Nara-ya.  She  wished  me  to  go 
on  the  day  when  I  first  saw  Mr.  Roberts,  but  I  did  not 
think  it  necessary.  Now  she  is  very  angry,  and  declares 
she  will  complain  to  you.  She  says  '  the  princess  '  is  ex- 
pecting me,  and  scolds  me  for  neglecting  my  duty.  She 
always  calls  her  'the  princess.'  I  thought  she  had  perhaps 
been  here." 

"  She  has  not;  but  why  does  she  concern  herself  with 
Tanegasima?  That  is  the  last  combination  I  should  have 
looked  for." 

Yone  smiled. 

"  Miss  Jackman  has  been  at  Nara-ya  ever  since  she 
arrived  in  Miyanoshita.  It  is  said  that  she  greatly  desires 
to  become  acquainted  with  Tanegasima-san,  but  finds  it 
difficult.  Art  interpreter  is  needed,  and  she  thinks  that  I 
should  be  useful.  I  am  not  very  willing.  I  have  told  her 
she  must  excuse  me." 

"  This  is  delightful  !  "  I  cried.  "  The  last  time  I  had 
the  luxury  of  conversing  with  Miss  Jackman  she  could  not 
devise  epithets  enough  to  denounce  this  lady,  the  mikado, 
and  the  entire  imperial  household.  You,  Miss  Gibson, 
must  have  heard  some  of  the  reverberations  of  her  wrath." 

"  I  heard  the  original  explosion,"  said  Miss  Gibson, 
laughing.  "  She  came  straight  from  your  office  to  Miss 
Philipson's  with  the  news — the  news  which  inflamed  her. 
I  cannot  imagine  what  she  wants  with  the  object  of  her 
former  fury." 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  207 

-) 

"  Some  magnificent  programme  of  reclamation,  it  may 
be;  or,  more  probably,  she  is  fascinated  by  the  aristocratic 
glitter  of  the  society  at  Nara-ya.  The  subjects  of  her 
Britannic  Majesty  are  not  the  only  snobs  in  the  universe. 
New  England  has  as  keen  a  scent  for  a  princess  as  old 
Scotland." 

"  Why  do  you  say  '  princess  '  ?  "  asked  Yone.  "  She  is 
the  daughter  of  a  kuge,  I  know,  and  her  rank  is  high,  but 
I  did  not  think  she  could  be  named  a  princess." 

"  My  dear,  there  is  nothing  so  attractive  to  the  people  of 
the  enlightened  West  as  a  lofty  title.  When  they  cannot 
get  the  genuine  article,  they  console  themselves  with  shams. 
If  you  and  *6hizu  should  go  abroad,  you  would  be  hailed 
everywhere  as  princesses." 

"  I  should  not  like  that." 

"  You  could  not  help  it.  When  Mr.  Roberts  takes  Shizu 
home,  he  will  have  a  Japanese  princess  for  a  wife,  mark 
my  word.  Think  of  that  fellow  married  to  a  princess  !  " 

"  Pray  do  not  speak  of  him  so.  He  will  never  be  any- 
thing less  than  a  prince  to  Shizu." 

"  Ah,  she  is  infatuated  with  him.  You  are  right,  Yone. 
I  half  believe  you  saw  this  when  you  first  went  to  her." 

"  It  is  true;  I  did." 

"Why,  then,  Yone,"  exclaimed  Miss  Gibson,  "  did  you 
strive  so  earnestly  to  induce  him  to  give  her  up  ? " 

"  Yes,  why?  "  I  repeated.  "  Expound  that  riddle,  if  you 
please." 

Instead  of  replying,  she  glanced  at  us  alternately,  a  little 
timorously,  yet  with  an  odd,  mischievous  light  in  her  eyes 
which  L  did  not  recognize  as  habitual.  Then  she  started 
to  run  away,  but  apparently  reminded  herself  that  evasion 
was  not  consistent  with  her  ordinary  practice,  and  again 
confronted  us,  silent  and  demure. 

"How  could  you  have  the  heart,"  resumed  Miss  Gibson, 
"to  seek  to  separate  them?" 

"  Perhaps,"  said  Yone,  thoughtfully  and   undecidedly — - 


208  YONE  SANTO: 

"  perhaps  I  did  not.  It  was  not  my  wish— I  think  it  was 
not — to  separate  them." 

"  Why,  you  gave  the  man  no  peace  for  two  successive 
days,"  I  declared.  "  Be  good  enough  to  interpret  yourself, 
immediately." 

"  No,  Doctor,  that  is  impossible;  I  do  not  exactly  know 
how.  But  I  did  not  intend  that  they  should  be  kept  apart, 
though  I  could  not  say  so  at  the  beginning.  It  was  very 
difficult;  sometimes  I  was  deeply  anxious;  but  it  was 
always  my  strong  desire  that  he  should  not  let  her  go." 

"  That  was  your  purpose,  all  through  ?  " 

"  That  was  what  I  hoped." 

"  You  are  a  wily  conspirator;  we  shall  never  get  to  the 
bottom  of  your  schemes.  What  do  you  say  now,  Miss  Gib- 
son ?  You  had  better  accept  my  theory  without  any  more 
dispute.  Witchery  is  the  only  word." 

Miss  Gibson  gave  no  response,  but  sat  gazing  so  intently 
as  to  startle  the  little  plotter  with  vague  alarms.  The 
gleam  of  playfulness  vanished  from  her  features. 

"  Have  I  displeased  you  ?  Was  it  wrong?  I  meant  to 
do  what  was  best.  I  did  not  say  a  thing  that  was  not  true. 
And  it  was  not  a  scheme, — not  really  a  scheme.  I  tried  to 
watch  him,  to  follow  his  thoughts,  to  make  him  see  and  feel 
how  he  should  act.  There  are  many  ways  to  show  people 
what  is  just  and  kind.  Marian,  she  loves  him.  I  wished 
to  make  her  happy.  I  knew  what  it  would  cost  her  to  lose 
him.  I  knew, — I  knew.  Who  could  know  so  well  as  I  ? 
Have  you  forgotten  " — 

I  hurriedly  checked  her. 

"Hush,  Yone;  you  are  all  astray.  What  possesses  you, 
my  child,  to  suppose  that  we  ever  misconceive  you  ?  Why 
should  you  distrust  us,  or  yourself?  Would  you  rob  me  of 
my  jests  ?  That  would  be  a  more  woful  deprivation  than 
any  Shizu  could  have  suffered.  I  believe  you  are  resolved 
to  remain  a  child  throughout  your  life.  Was  it  yesterday, 
or  last  week,  that  you  came  to  me  with  your  kitten  and  the 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  209 

dictionary,  in  the  garden  at  Yumoto  ?  I  wish  you  could 
have  seen  her,  Miss  Gibson;  she  was  the  best  little  girl  in 
the  world,  with  all  her  sly  cunning,  and  was  bent  upon 
proving  herself  the  worst.  It  is  an  old  trick,  you  perceive. 
Yes,  Yone,  you  look  precisely  as  you  did  that  afternoon. 
What,  six  years  ago  ?  You  should  have  learned  something, 
in  all  that  time." 

"  I  shall  never  learn  to  be  anything  but  a  foolish  girl, 
Doctor;  I  have  not  changed  in  that.  It  seemed  to  me  that 
Marian  was  offended  because  L  had  not  been  quite — quite 
frank." 

"  Miss  Gibson  is  not  such  a  goose,  if  she  will  pardon  me 
for  flattering  her." 

"I  was  only  thinking,"  said  that  young  lady,  "how  glad 
I  should  have  been  to  do  the  very  same,  if  I  had  known 
how." 

"  What  beautiful  things  you  say  to  me!  "  cried  Yone,  her 
face  flushing  with  renewed  confidence  and  content.  "  And 
the  doctor,  too,  though  I  see  that  he  laughs  at  me  very 
often.  That  is  what  I  like  best,  if  I  can  be  sure  he  is  sat- 
isfied, and  does  not  misunderstand  me." 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  repeat  that  the  danger  of  misun- 
derstanding her  was  not  formidable,  and  that  my  assur- 
ances of  satisfaction  would  have  been  frequent  enough,  had 
it  not  been  my  settled  determination  to  drive  all  serious 
reflections  from  her  mind,  and  give  her  thoughts  a  lighter 
and  gayer  tendency  than  they  were  naturally  disposed  to 
assume. 

"Very  well,"  I  said,  with  fictitious  moroseness;  "  it  is 
you  who  will  have  to  pay  the  penalty  of  your  misbehavior. 
You  have  lost  a  chance  of  establishing  the  school  which  you 
had  set  your  heart  upon." 

"That  is  hard,"  she  sighed;  "but  perhaps  another  chance 
will  come  for  me,  while  this  was  Shizu's  only  one.  I  had 
to  think  of  her,  this  time." 

"  This  time  !     Oh,  certainly,  you  are  quite  right.     This 


210  YONE  SANTO  : 

time,  to  be  sure.  I  am  glad  you  are  beginning  to  think  of 
others  a  little.  Cultivate  the  habit,  my  dear;  make  it  your 
constant  study.  I  don't  know  anybody  who  is  in  greater 
need  of  it." 


XXVIII. 

PRINCESS-HUNTING. 

Miss  JACKMAN'S  visitation  was  not  long  delayed.  After 
once  or  twice  repeating,  in  casual  encounters,  her  ineffectual 
attempts  to  secure  Yone's  cooperation,  she  presented  herself 
at  the  temple  on  an  afternoon  when  our  party  of  four  happened 
to  be  all  united  together.  With  massive  stateliness  she  an- 
nounced that  the  illustrious  patroness  of  the  Nara-ya  hotel 
had  for  several  days  been  ready  to  receive  her,  and  was  wait- 
ing only  till  the  services  of  a  suitable. interpreter  could  be 
obtained.  Miss  Jackman  was  prepared  to  recommend  Mrs. 
Santo  as  a  competent  medium  of  communication, — had,  in 
fact,  already  done  so, — and  had  tendered  that  humble  mem- 
ber of  society  the  brilliant  opportunity  of  holding  indirect 
converse  with  one  of  the  pillars  of  state;  but  the  proposi- 
tion, instead  of  being  received  with  grateful  acquiescence, 
had  been  persistently  declined, — possibly  owing  to  an  un- 
willingness to  cross  the  barrier  which,  in  the  far  East,  sep- 
arates the  lofty  from  the  lowly.  That  deterrent  motive, 
however  natural  and  becoming,  need  not  prevail  in  the 
present  instance,  our  visitor  felt  empowered  to  declare, 
and  it  was  to  be  hoped  that  Doctor  Charwell  would  exer- 
cise his  influence  and  authority  to  bring  about  the  desired 
result. 

"  This  is  a  matter  for  Yone  to  decide,"  I  remarked,  at 
the  conclusion  of  her  exordium.  "  If  she  does  not  incline 
to  go,  you  can  doubtless  find  another  assistant.  I  should 
suppose,  indeed,  that  your  command  of  the  language  would 
render  an  interpreter  superfluous." 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  211 

"  The  princess  has  signified  her  acceptance  of  Mrs. 
Santo,"  replied  Miss  Jackman,  "and  it  would  be  awkward 
to  introduce  another  name.  As  for  myself,  I  do  not  pre- 
tend to  be  at  ease  in  the  dialect  of  the  central  provinces, 
from  which  the  princess  comes.  Mrs.  Santo  has  no  occa- 
sion to  be  afraid;  she  will  be  under  my  protection." 

"Afraid!"  said  Yone.  "That  would  be  singular.  I 
used  to  know  her  well." 

"  Know  the  princess  ? "  questioned  Miss  Jackman,  lifting 
her  eyebrows. 

"  Tanegasima-san  studied  with  me,  at  Jo-gakko,  for  a 
long  time.  She  was  one  of  my  own  pupils." 

"  Utterly  impossible  !  "  exclaimed  the  astonished  mis- 
sionary. "  I  am  speaking  of  the  Princess  Tanegasima." 

"  It  is  the  same  individual,"  I  asserted,  "  whatever  you 
like  to  call  her.  I  don't  see  why  you  should  be  so  very 
much  surprised.  The  Emperor's  cousins  go  to  the  public 
school,  and  a  kuge's  daughter  may  certainly  study  at  the 
college  for  girls  without  disturbing  anybody's  serenity." 

For  a  brief  space  Miss  Jackman  was  lost  in  confusion. 

"  Then  that  accounts  " — she  began  to  murmur;  but,  re- 
covering, she  assumed  a  more  ingratiating  tone,  and  took 
up  a  new  line  of  approach.  "  In  that  case,  Mrs.  Santo 
should  be  overjoyed  to  meet  her  distinguished  school  com- 
panion once  more.  It  is  most  interesting.  I  am  delighted 
to  be  the  means  of  bringing  them  together.  Shall  we  ap- 
point to-morrow,  Mrs.  Santo  ?  " 

Yone  was  silent,  and  her  countenance  indicated  a  grow- 
ing discomposure.  I  was  anxious  to  shield  her  from  fur- 
ther importunity,  but  at  the  same  time  desirous  to  prevent 
the  conversation  from  taking  a  hostile  tone;  for  I  knew  that, 
under  provocation,  I  was  as  little  likely  as  our  caller  to 
hold  myself  in  judicious  repression.  While  I  deliberated, 
the  proposal  was  repeated. 

"  I  will  send  word  at  what  hour  it  will  be  agreeable  for 
the  princess  to  grant  us  an  audience.  I  suppose  we  may 
say  to-morrow  ?  " 


212  YONE  SANTO: 

At  this  point  Miss  Gibson  was  moved  to  participate  in 
the  discussion: — 

"  Really,  Miss  Jackman,  I  must  beg  you  to  desist.  Yone 
objects  to  visiting  that  lady,  and  I  respect  her  objection. 
So  does  Doctor  Charwell.  It  is  not  to  be  thought  of." 

"Why  not,  Miss  Gibson?"  the  stubborn  "reclaimer" 
demanded.  "  Why  should  she  refuse  the  summons  of  one 
of  the  most  exalted  personages  in  this  empire  ? " 

"  I  don't  choose  to  go  into  that  question,"  said  Miss  Gib- 
son, "  though  the  answer  is  simple  enough.  It  seems 
strange  that  a  Japanese  girl  should  be  aware  of  restraints 
of  propriety  which  are  not  apparent  to  a  foreign  teacher  of 
morals." 

"  Exceedingly  strange,"  was  the  reply,  loftily  delivered; 
"  and  still  more  strange  that  the  subject  of  morality  should 
be  brought  up  in  this  company,  considering  the  associate 
that  has  been  admitted  here." 

Miss  Jackman's  eyes  flashed  with  the  light  of  battle,  as 
she  stretched  her  arm  toward  Shizu,  who  sat  trembling  and 
terrified  at  the  outburst,  the  cause  and  purport  of  which 
she  but  partially  understood. 

"  Run  away,  children  ! "  I  cried,  throwing  open  the 
sliding  doors,  and  bustling  the  couple  into  the  corridor  with 
scant  ceremony.  "  (iet  to  your  own  quarters.  This  lady 
uses  language  not  fit  for  young  girls  to  hear." 

"Young  girls  !  "  she  scoffed;  "young  girls,  indeed  !  I 
came  in  Christian  charity,  ready  to  overlook  the  misdeeds 
of  that  abandoned  woman,  and  I  am  met  with  insult  and 
vituperation." 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  Miss  Jackman,  let  us  have  peace  ! 
It  is  no  pleasure  to  quarrel  with  you  every  month  in  the 
year.  Why  can't  you  let  us  alone  ?  " 

"  I  entered  these  walls,"  she  responded,  "  with  peace  and 
forgiveness  in  my  heart,  bearing  an  invitation  from  one  who 
sits  in  high  places, — an  invitation  emanating  from  a  source 
which  makes  it  equivalent  to  a  command.  The  prin- 
cess"— 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  213 

The  incessant  iteration  of  this  fictitious  title  was  too 
much  for  my  nerves. 

"  Come,  Miss  Jackman,"  I  protested,"  you  know  very  well 
that  there  is  no  princess  in  this  neighborhood.  It  doesn't 
make  a  woman  a  princess  to  become  the  mother  of  .the 
emperor's  son.  Why,  it  was  only  a  few  weeks  ago  that  you 
were  boiling  with  indignation  against  this  identical  person. 
You  told  me  that  the  court  in  which  she  figured  was  a  court 
of  shame  and  infamy.  Don't  you  remember  wishing  you 
were  the  empress,  to  give  her  a  trouncing  ?  You  have 
grown  wonderfully  tolerant,  of  a  sudden." 

"  I  am  not  accountable  to  you,  sir,  for  my  judgments  or 
my  actions." 

"Assuredly  not;  you  may  endure,  and  pity,  and  embrace, 
to  your  soul's  content.  But  you  must  allow  us  our  privi- 
leges as  well.  You  have  been  informed  a  dozen  times  that 
Yone  prefers  not  to  call  upon  Tanegasima-san." 

"  I  see  where  her  preference  lies,  and  it  is  not  extraordi- 
nary that  you  should  encourage  it;  but  I  confess  I  am 
amazed  to  discover  that  Miss  Gibson,  whom  I  thought  a 
stranger  to  the  vileness  of  this  land,  has  been  inveigled 
into  a  recognition  of  such  a  creature  as  I  see  flaunting  her- 
self in  your  circle." 

"  You  can't  affect  me  in  the  least  by  remarks  of  that 
sort,"  interposed  Miss  Gibson.  "  You  cannot  even  make 
me  angry.  But  it  is  right  that  you  should  learn  that  the 
young  girl  to  whom  you  allude  is  about  to  marry  a  gentle- 
man of  good  standing  in  a  broader  circle  than  ours." 

For  the  second  time  in  this  short  interview,  our  unbidden 
guest's  self-confidence  received  a  staggering  blow. 

"  I  don't  believe  a  word  of  it !  "  she  vociferated. 

"That's  a  pity,  for  you  are  one  of  the  first  to  hear  it; 
and,"  I  suggested,  "  it  might  gratify  you  to  circulate  so 
pleasant  an  item  of  intelligence." 

"You  refer  to  that  Mr.  Roberts, "she  continued.  "If 
the  thing  were  credible,  he  ought  to  receive  a  warning.  I 


214  YONE  SANTO: 

have  no  high  opinion  of  him,  to  be  sure,  but  her  I  know 
thoroughly.  I  wrestled  and  pleaded  with  her  day  after 
day,  and  there  was  no  grace  within  her.  It  may  be  my 
duty  to  admonish  him." 

"  I  wish  to  goodness  you  would.  You  failed  with  her; 
now  you  can  try  your  luck  with  him.  You  will  find 
him  in  Yokohama,  at  No.  407.  Do  go.  I  dare  say  the 
princess  can  spare  you  for  a  week." 

"  I  will  go  when  it  suits  me,"  she  retorted,  in  a  state  of 
combustion  for  which,  I  am  bound  to  admit,  I  had  not  been 
backward  in  furnishing  fuel.  "  Yes,  I  will  go;  but  not  before 
I  hold  up  a  mirror  in  which  Miss  Gibson  may  witness  the 
precipice  on  which  she  stands.  She  shall  know  from  my 
lips,  before  it  is  too  late, — if  indeed  it  is  not  now  too  late, — 
the  character  of  this  man  who  is  luring  her  on  the  down- 
ward path,  and  dragging  her  in  the  mire  with  the  refuse 
and  dregs  of  Japanese  iniquity;  this  man  who,  for  his  own 
base  purposes,  sets  up  a  pretense  of  monopoly  in  humanity; 
who  makes  a  mockery  of  us  who  labor -for  righteousness, 
and  of  all  other  sacred  things  " — 

She  stopped  short,  in  the  middle  of  her  tirade,  and  fixed 
her  gaze  upon  Miss  Gibson,  who  had  seated  herself  at  a 
table,  and  was  now  writing  with  rapidity. 

"  What  are  you  doing  ?  "    she  asked,  in  an  altered  tone. 

"  I  am  taking  it  all  down;  I  am  something  of  an  expert 
in  short-hand.  I  shall  publish  every  syllable." 

It  was  an  afternoon  of  surprises  for  Miss  Jackman,  upon 
whom  this  third  unexpected  statement  acted  like  an  elec- 
tric shock.  In  her  wildest  flights  of  fantasy  there  was  al- 
ways a  method  which  kept  her  from  overleaping  the  utter- 
most bounds  of  discretion,  and  she  was  instantly  alive  to 
the  inconvenient  consequences  that  would  follow  the  ex- 
ecution of  the  threat.  It  did  not  occur  to  her  to  doubt  its 
reality.  She  had  no  time  to  reflect  that  it  might  be  a  ruse, 
extemporized  with  the  sole  view  of  stemming  the  torrent  of 
her  eloquence.  She  gathered  herself  together,  and  swept 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  215 

forth  without  further  articulate  speech; breaking  the  silence 
only  by  staccato  exclamations,  which,  though  charged  with 
belligerent  significance,  were  of  a  nature  to  elude  phono- 
graphic reproduction,  and  fulgurating  in  fierce  glances  the 
wrath  which  she  did  not  venture  to  proclaim  in  words. 

That  same  evening,  before  sunset,  we  had  another 
glimpse  of  her  ample  form, — the  last  in  that  region, — as  it 
was  carried  past  our  windows  in  a  kago,  along  the  road 
leading  to  Hakone.  Our  inference  that  she  had  definitely 
shaken  the  dust  of  Miyanoshita  from  her  feet  was  con- 
firmed, a  little  later,  by  a  messenger  from  Nara-ya,  who,  pre- 
vious to  delivering  a  missive  addressed  to  Yone,  imparted 
the  information  that  the  innkeeper  had  for  a  considerable 
time  been  expecting  the  foreign  lodger  to  bring  a  Japanese 
lady  whom  his  principal  patroness  especially  desired  to 
greet;  that  the  foreigner  had  'been  permitted  to  tarry  at 
the  honjin,  which  was  uncomfortably  overcrowded, 
solely  because  of  her  promise  to  satisfy  this  expecta- 
tion; that  she  had  just  now  acknowledged  her  inability  to 
fulfill  the  condition,  and  had  consequently  been  politely  re- 
quested to  vacate  her  apartment,  and  seek  accommodation 
elsewhere. 

The  letter,  which  was  from  Tanegasima,  expressed  the 
pleasure  with  which  the  writer  had  heard  that  Yone  was 
close  at  hand,  and  the  hope  that  she  might  receive  a  visit 
from  her  friend  and  teacher  of  former  years.  The  phrase- 
ology was  intricate  and  affected,  in  accordance  with  the 
courtly  forms  prescribed  for  epistolary  intercourse,  but 
evidences  of  sincere  feeling  were  discernible  through  the 
ornate  verbal  embroidery.  Yone  read  it  more  than  once, 
and  pondered  deeply  before  acquainting  us  with  its  tenor. 

"  If  I  thought  that  I  were  needed,"  she  finally  said,  "  if  she 
were  sick,  if  I  could  help  her  in  the  smallest  trifle,  I  would 
ask  permission  to  go.  But  she  is  busy  with  lively  occupations, 
her  hours  passlightly  from  morning  till  night,  and  I  truly  know 
of  no  way  in  which  I  can  serve  her  or  give  her  pleasure- 


216  YONE  SA.VrO.' 

It  pains  me  to  hold  myself  back  from  her,  but  I  have  no 
belief  that  I  could  be  useful;  and  we  are  so  far — so  very  far 
— apart." 

She  slowly  folded  the  paper,  and  looked  thoughtfully  at 
Miss  Gibson  and  me. 

"  Are  you  willing  to  advise  me  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Dr.  Charwell  knows  better  than  I,"  the  Boston  girl  re- 
sponded; upon  which  I  told  her  that  it  was  not  a  matter  to 
cause  her  serious  concern,  either  way,  and  that  she  might 
safely  trust  her  own  instincts. 

A  few  minutes  later  Shizu's  voice  was  heard,  speaking 
softly,  but  earnestly,  in  her  native  language.  She  saw  that 
our  attention  was  attracted,  and  reminding  herself,  appar- 
ently, that  she  could  not  be  comprehended  by  Miss  Gibson, 
drew  nearer  to  that  lady,  and  proceeded  in  English,  her  low, 
mild,  measured  tones  sounding  like  a  fine  and  delicate 
echo  of  Yone's  clear  accents. 

"  I  ask  pardon  of  everybody;  it  was  not  right  for  me  to 
speak  as  if  I  had  a  secret  with  Yone.  It  was  only  that  I 
am  forgetful, — not  my  intention  to  be  rude.  I  wished  to 
say  that  perhaps  she  does  not  know  all  the  reasons  why 
Tanegasima  writes  to  her.  I  can  understand  a  little  better. 
When  I  was  very  lonely,  not  long  ago,  I  hoped  each  day 
that  I  might  see  a  face  that  would  look  kindly  at  me,  and  hear 
such  words  as  a  friend  would  speak,  to  make  me  less  sor- 
rowful. I  was  always  thinking  that  if  I  could  call  to  my 
side  some  dear  companion  of  the  years  that  seemed 
far  away,  the  years  when  I  was  a  child,  my  sadness 
would  be  easier  to  bear.  Then  I  heard  that  Yone 
was  near  me.  Oh,  I  cannot  tell  you  what  I  felt,  nor 
what  was  in  my  heart,  when  she  came  and  stood  over  me, 
with  love  and  pity  in  her  eyes.  It  is  not  the  same  with 
Tanegasima  as  it  was  with  me, — no,  all  is  different.  She 
has  faithful  servants  to  obey  her,  she  can  be  gay,  she  is 
powerful  to  do  great  things,  there  are  many  who  will  help 
to  drive  grief  from  her  and  fill  her  thoughts  with  pleasure. 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  217 

But  that  is  not  enough;  ah,  Yone,  it  is  not  enough.  Do 
you  remember  the  school  days  when  she  was  so  happy  ?  I 
do  not  forget  them.  I  think  she  never  can  forget  them.  Now 
she  is  in  the  midst  of  grandeur;  most  things  that  she  wants 
she  has  but  to  command,  and  they  are  hers.  But  not  all. 
There  is  one  thing  that  she  does  not  command.  She  asks 
it  gently  and  without  pride.  Her  letter  is  like  a  sister's. 
She  wishes  to  be  led  back,  for  a  little  while,  to  the  time 
when  you  and  she  were  close  in  friendship.  She  wishes  to 
be  made  for  one  hour  the  same  young  girl  that  was  given  to 
your  care,  and  to  be  carried  to  the  old  place  by  her 
teacher's  side.  Who  can  do  this  for  her  but  Yone  ?  There 
is  no  other.  Dear  Yone,  you  have  been  good  to  me  in  the 
greatest  trouble  of  my  life.  Be  good  to  her.  You  tell  us 
she  does  not  need  you,  but  you  cannot  be  sure  of  that. 
Do  not  refuse.  It  is  not  difficult;  there  is  nothing  to  pre- 
vent you.  I  shall  be  so  glad  if  you  will  go." 

It  was  manifest,  long  before  she  had  finished,  that  her 
supplication  could  not  be  resisted.  Yone's  answer  was 
not  immediate,  but  in  her  pause  there  was  no  sign  of  doubt 
or  indecision. 

"We  will  go  together,"  she  murmured;  "  early  to-mor- 
row, if  the  doctor  and  Marian  consent." 

"  1  shall  go  if  you  tell  me,"  said  Shizu,  "  but  it  is  you  that 
she  wants." 

When  we  separated,  two  hours  later,  Miss  Gibson  turned 
to  Shizu  with  unusual  warmth. 

"  Will  you  kiss  me,  dear,  to-night  ?  "  she  asked. 

"To-night?"  repeated  Shizu,  with  a  peculiar  intonation 
which  struck  my  ear  curiously,  but  to  which  the  American 
girl  appeared  to  attach  no  especial  significance. 

"To-night,  and  every  night,  if  you  care  for  our  foreign 
caress,"  she  said  tenderly. 

"  I  do  care,  greatly,"  replied  Shizu,  with  more  than  her 
usual  gravity. 

"  I  know  it  is  not  supposed  to  mean  anything,    here," 


218  YONE  SAN  7^O  : 

continued  Miss  Gibson;  "but  Yone   lets  me  kiss  her,  like 
one  of  my  own  countrywomen." 

"  To  me  it  would  mean  much,"  our  guest  responded, 
again  with  a  singular  vibration  in  her  voice,  though  the 
words  were  so  softly  breathed  as  to  be  scarcely  distinguish- 
able. She  moved  slowly  across  the  room,  and  as  she  passed 
me  I  saw  that  she  was  contending  with  an  emotion  which 
she  struggled  to  conceal.  Dropping  upon  her  knees,  and 
bending  forward,  she  lifted  her  new  friend's  hand  to  her 
lips. 

"  That  is  not  what  I  wished,  at  all  !  "  hastily  exclaimed 
the  recipient  of  this  unexpected  salutation,  surprised  and 
perplexed. 

Without  further  remark,  Shizu  bowed  and  left  us.  Yone 
would  have  followed  on  the  instant,  but  was  checked  by  a 
demand  for  information. 

"Why  did  she  do  that?  I  wanted  her  to  kiss  me  as 
you  do.  I  thought  she  understood." 

"  I  believe  she  did  understand,"  Yone  answered,  some- 
what confused.  "  You  will  excuse  her;  you  saw  that  she 
was  agitated.  I  have  told  you  of  her  sensitiveness,  and  she 
is  proud  as  well.  That  is  a  fault  she  cannot  put  aside." 

"  Proud  !  Why,  she  is  all  humility.  Surely  it  was  not 
pride  that  made  her  kneel  before  me.  I  cannot  let  her  do 
such  things." 

"  That  is  not  humility,  in  Japan;  here  every  one  kneels. 
She  desired  to  show  that  she  was  grateful;  but  to  be  kissed 
by  you, — she  did  not  look  for  that.  She  was  not  prepared, 
and  she  could  not  accept  it.  I  am  afraid,  Marian,  that  I 
explain  very  badly.  You  must  not  think  there  is  anything 
wrong  or  vain  in  her  pride.  It  is  very  simple,  and  I  am 
not  at  all  ashamed  of  her  for  it.  Perhaps  I  should  not  call 
it  pride;  there  may  be  a  better  word,  though  I  do  not  know 
it.  Sometimes  it  seems  to  me  that  pride  and  humility  are 
exactly  the  same.  But  I  can  tell  you  in  another  way:  if 
you  will  kiss  her  on  the  day  when  she  is  married  to  Mr. 


A   CHILD  OF  JAP  AX.  219 

Roberts,  she  will  thank  you  not  only  with  her  lips,  but  with 
her  whole  heart  and  soul." 

Miss  Gibson  did  not  answer  immediately.  After  a  short 
delay  she  said: — 

"  I  see  my  mistake.  I  should  have  taken  her  in  my  arms, 
without  speaking  a  word." 

"  Ah,  if  you  could  have  done  that  !     But  " — 

"  But  it  is  too  late  now.  You  are  right,  Yone.  I  will 
wait." 

"  And  you  will  think  as  well  of  her  as  before  ? " 

"  Have  no  fear;  I  shall  think  a  great  deal  of  her  self- 
respect.  My  feeling  for  Shizu  is  all  that  you  could  wish; 
you  shall  see  that  it  is.  And  so  shall  the  doctor." 

"  You  have  been  out  of  my  depth  for  the  last  ten  min- 
utes," I  declared.  "  I  should  be  drowned,  if  I  had  not 
something  more  solid  under  my  feet  than  your  fanciful 
metaphysics.  To  tell  you  the  truth,  I  was  nearly  asleep." 

It  was  not  telling  them  the  truth,  nor  anything  near  it; 
but  I  imagined  it  would  please  Miss  Gibson  to  hear  me 
say  so. 

During  the  few  remaining  days  of  our  inland  sojourn,  it 
was  noticeable  that  this  large-hearted  American's  intellect- 
ual activity  was  strongly  stimulated,  and  that  she  was  rest- 
lessly eager  for  opportunities  to  demonstrate  the  sincerity 
of  her  good-will  toward  all  deserving  mankind.  Her 
succinct  explanation  of  the  impulse  which  possessed  her 
was  that  she  could  not  sit  still  and  see  those  two  little 
heathens  doing  all  the  good.  She  had  been  most  effect- 
ively moved  by  Yone's  phenomenal  success  in  promoting 
the  union  of  Shizu  and  the  Scotchman;  and,  in  a  spirit  of 
emulation,  she  set  herself  to  the  task  of  readjusting  the 
destiny  of  more  than  one  of  her  companions.  The  ardor 
with  which  she  undertook  the  redress  of  Yone's  wrongs 
often  surprised  and  embarrassed  the  object  of  her  advo- 
cacy. She  began  to  construct  elaborate  schemes  for  rescu- 
ing her  cherished  friend  from  what  she  termed  the  present 


220  YONE  SANTO: 

thralldom,  very  few  of  which,  I  was  obliged  to  inform  her, 
had  the  merit  of  being  practical.  She  went  so  far,  on  more 
than  one  occasion,  as  to  propose,  tmblushingly,  to  my  face, 
that  the  plan  of  divorce  which  I  had  suggested  for  Arthur 
Milton's  acceptance  should  still  be  carried  out,  with  the 
simple  difference  of  substituting  me,  Charwell,  for  the  run- 
away scapegrace. 

"  Not  that  abominable  wretch;  oh,  no  !  But  I  will  give 
her  to  you,  Doctor;  you  shall  take  her,  and  make  her  free 
and  happy." 

She  returned  so  often  to  this  attack  that  I  found  it  neces- 
sary to  talk  seriously  to  her. 

"  My  dear  Miss  Gibson,"  said  I,  "  you  must  not  speak  of 
this  again  to  any  person.  You  compel  me  to  remind  you 
that  Yone  is  another  man's  wife.  You  would  not  think  of 
such  a  thing,  if  you  were  not,  as  your  recent  guide  and 
philosopher  would  say,  *  in  Japan.'  Wait  one  moment.  I 
think  you  are  about  to  tell  me  that  I  overlooked  the  obsta- 
cle of  her  present  marriage  when  it  was  a  question  of  unit- 
ing her  to  Milton.  But  in  that  case  I  had  in  view  the 
prospect — at  least  the  possible  prospect — of  a  life  of  almost 
unbounded  happiness  for  Yone.  She  loved  the  young  man 
with  a  love  as  intense  and  absorbing  as  it  was  suddenly  in- 
spired; and  if  he  had  been  worthy  of  her,  I  could  have 
reconciled  myself  to  straining  a  good  many  points  of  con- 
ventional delicacy,  for  the  sake  of  brightening  and  cheering 
her  whole  existence.  But  there  is  now  no  such  object  to  be 
considered.  Even  if  she  were  entirely  unfettered,  I  should 
not  ask  her  to  take  a  step  of  the  kind  you  suggest,  unless 
it  were  absolutely  necessary,  to  preserve  her  from  great 
and  otherwise  unavoidable  danger.  Why,  she  is  an  infant, 
in  my  eyes.  I  have  watched  her  growth  since  she  was  a 
little  child.  I  have  no  feeling  for  her  but  that  of  a  father. 
Her  affection  for  me  is  simply  a  fond  daughter's.  It  would 
shock  me  even  to  think  of  her  in  any  other  relation.  I  beg 
you  never  to  reopen  the  subject,  either  with  me  or  any  one 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  221 

else.     It  might  lead  me  to  forego  or  abridge  the  gratifica- 
tion I  now  have  in  watching  over  her  as  a  guardian." 

"  A  guardian  !  "  she  exclaimed,  struck  by  the  word;  "  and 
why  not  a  guardian  always  ?  I  heard  something  of  what 
happened  when  you  thought  of  adopting  her,  before;  but 
what  does  that  matter  ?  If  that  old  boat-maker  could  be 
brought  to  relinquish  her  for  one  purpose,  he  would  cer- 
tainly do  it  for  another,  and  a  better.  Why,  the  trouble  is 
ended  already.  Nothing  can  be  easier,  and  it  would  make 
me — it  would  make  us  all  so  happy."  The  impulsive  gir 
glowed  with  anticipative  delight. 

"  You  must  not  think  I  have  neglected  any  inquiry 
that  can  be  useful,"  I  said.  "  I  believe  I  have  left  noth- 
ing undone  in  search  of  methods  by  which  Yone's  chains 
might  be  loosened.  Her  marriage  with  a  foreigner  is  pos- 
sible. Her  adoption,  situated  as  she  is  now  is,  is  impossi-  \/ 
ble  by  the  laws  of  the  empire." 

"That  seems  incredible,"  she  replied.  "Why  one,  if  not 
the  other  ? " 

"  There  may  be  sound  reasons, — or  it  may  be  only  an 
oversight.  But  there  is  no  chance  of  getting  the  rule  re- 
laxed at  this  day.  I  have  served  the  State  as  well  as  many, 
but  not  for  me  nor  any  other  will  the  rulers  consent  to 
waive  a  single  legal  right,  while  they  continue  bound  down 
by  the  vicious  and  oppressive  foreign  treaties.  They  will 
yield  nothing,  until  their  independence  is  restored  to  them. 
They  are  thoroughly  justified,  though  the  individual  hard- 
ships are  severe.  You  will  understand,  however,  that  if 
Yone's  grandmother  had  agreed  to  break  off  the  proposed 
marriage,  and  had  left  her  here,  alone  and  unprovided  for, 
as  I  hoped  she  would,  then  I  should  have  taken  her  un- 
hesitatingly; for  I  am  sure  the  authorities  would  not  have 
interfered  to  restrain  me  from  following  what  they  would 
consider  a  humane  impulse.  But  the  child  was  provided 
for,  in  a  way,  and  now  her  transfer  from  Santo  to  me,  as  an 
adopted  daughter,  would  not  be  sanctioned.  If  done  at 


222  YONE  SANTO: 

all,  it  would  have  to  be  done  in  defiance  of  an  usage  which 
has  all  the  force  of  law.  Santo  would  never  risk  the 
consequences  of  such  a  violation  of  precedent,  and  I  would 
do  nothing  to  subject  her  to  the  discomfort  of  public  noto- 
riety, or  discussion,  or  criticism;  unless,  as  I  have  said,  it 
were  to  save  her  from  some  greater  evil  than  seems  likely 
to  befall  her." 

"  How  can  you  talk  so  about  it  ? "  Miss  Gibson  cried. 
"  Have  you  so  little —  No,  not  that — forgive  me,  Doc- 
tor." 

"  I  have  no  wish  to  talk  about  it  in  any  way,"  I  answered. 
"  L'et  this  matter  rest  forever.  If,  in  time,  I  see  a  clearer 
path  than  now,  you  shall  know  of  it,  I  promise  you." 

Then  she  desisted, — and  to  my  great  content,  although  it 
was  impossible  to  remain  unmoved  by  these  evidences  of 
generous  and  womanly  sensibility.  Her  energies  were 
thenceforward  applied  t'o  the  development  of  projects  more 
consistent  with  the  necessities  of  Yone's  position;  and 
in  these  she  had  no  cause  to  complain  of  my  lack  of  inter- 
est or  readiness  to  cooperate. 

One  little  incident  occurred  to  cloud,  though  only  for  a 
moment,  the  cheerfulness  of  our  excursion.  At  the  end  of 
the  tour,  we  chanced  to  pass  a  night  in  the  village  of 
Tonozawa,  at  a  house  much  frequented  by  foreigners,  the 
landlady  of  which  regarded  us  with  an  air  of  partial  recog- 
nition, as  she  superintended  the  preparations  for  supper. 
She  asked  when  we  had  honored  her  place  before,  and 
seemed  perplexed  on  hearing  that  this  was  our  first  visit. 
Later  in  the  evening,  she  submitted  for  our  edification  a 
collection  of  autographs,  native  poetry,  ancient  Chinese 
maxims,  and  more  or  less  elaborate  sketches,  left  wfth  her, 
in  accordance  with  a  common  custom,  by  travelers  from 
near  and  far.  Not  appreciating  the  merit  of  the  ideo- 
graphic writings,  Miss  Gibson  and  I  were  glancing  over 
them  somewhat  carelessly,  when  an  exclamation  from  Yone 
diverted  our  attention.  She  had  risen  to  her  feet,  and, 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  223 

grasping  a  scroll  in  her  hand,  she  bent  upon  the  hostess  a 
look  of  mingled  pain  and  reproach,  as  if  grieved  by  the 
idea  that  the  woman  had  designedly  inflicted  an  unwelcome 
surprise  upon  her.  Immediately  after,  realizing  the  injus- 
tice of  this  suspicion,  she  resumed  her  seat,  and  with  a  fal- 
tering hand  replaced  the  paper  upon  the  table,  not  attempt- 
ing to  conceal  it, — which,  in  fact,  would  have  been  totally 
contrary  to  Yone's  open  disposition.  We,  her  foreign  com- 
panions, hardly  needed  to  look  at  it,  knowing  instinctively 
that  it  must  be  the  handiwork  of  Milton,  who  had  passed 
many  days  of  the  early  spring  in  this  neighborhood.  It  was 
a  medley  of  disconnected  drawings  which  he  had  contrib- 
uted to  the  general  store, — bits  of  landscape,  figure  groups, 
and  a  number  of  outline  heads;  among  which  latter,  Yone's, 
mine,  and  his  own  were  included.  The  likenesses  were  all 
excellent,  though  rapidly  produced.  That  of  himself  was 
bright  and  spirited,  presenting  him  in  the  best  and  happiest 
humor;  while  into  Yone's  he  had,  perhaps  unwittingly, 
thrown  an  expression  which  seemed  to  show  what  the  ten- 
dency of  his  feeling  toward  her  had  been,  some  time  before 
he  allowed  it  to  become  apparent.  As  I  have  remarked, 
she  made  no  effort  to  put  the  sheet  out  of  sight,  but  con. 
tinued  to  keep  it  in  view,  until  her  lips  ceased  quivering 
and  her  eyes  grew  clear,  and  the  composure  which  had 
briefly  deserted  her  was  regained.  Then  she  turned  to  us 
with  a  plaintive  smile,  which  would,  I  think,  have  touched 
the  stoniest  heart  that  ever  hardened  itself  to  human  sor- 
row. 

"You  will  buy  it  for  me,  Doctor" — she  began;  then 
paused,  reflecting. 

We  waited  with  concern  for  her  next  words. 

"  And  destroy  it,"  she  added,  softly. 


224  YONE  SANTO. 


XXIX. 

HOW  THE  TEST  CAME  TO  JAPAN. 

OUR  holidays  were  over,  and  we  returned  to  Tokio,  to 
encounter,  fewer  changes  than  might  have  been  expected. 
A  correspondence  had  been  opened  between  Miss  Gibson 
and  her  former  associates,  the  interlineal  reading  of  which 
showed  that  it  was  hoped,  on  the  Philipson  side,  that  the 
credit  of  the  establishment  need  not  be  injured  by  a  sud- 
den breach;  the  direct  suggestion  being  that  it  might,  on 
reflection,  seem  more  judicious  to  continue,  at  least  to  out- 
ward appearance,  the  same  terms  of  intercourse  as  before. 
This  proffer  was  in  no  wise  misconceived  by  Miss  Gibson, 
but  it  indicated  what  was  manifestly  the  most  convenient 
course  for  herself;  and  so,  pending  her  ultimate  decision, 
she  resumed  her  residence  with  the  two  sisters,  this  time  as 
a  boarder,  and  without  especially  defined  functions.  She 
busied  herself  much  with  the  children,  and  took  a  deep  in- 
terest in  Yone's  private  projects  of  benevolence,  the  extent 
and  elaborate  organization  of  which  surprised  her,  as  in- 
deed they  would  have  surprised  any  one  not  thoroughly 
familiar  with  the  extraordinary  cheapness  of  food  and  lodg- 
ings among  the  natives  of  Japan,  and  the  amount  of  whole- 
some instruction  that  can  be  imparted  at  infinitesimal  cost, 
under  intelligent  and  systematic  management. 

A  culminating  shock  of  astonishment  was  reserved  for 
her  in  the  discovery  that,  during  our  absence,  a  spacious 
edifice  had  been  erected  upon  the  open  ground  at  the  rear 
of  my  dwelling,  and  made  ready  for  the  accommodation  of 
more  than  fourscore  children, — to  be  chosen  by  herself 
and  Yone  from  the  humblest  strata  of  the  populace, — at  a 


A   CHILD  OP  JAPAN.  225 

total  disbursement  not  exceeding  two  hundred  dollars;  and 
that  the  working  expenses  of  this  frugally  administered  in- 
stitution, including  the  outlays  for  teachers,  for  books  and 
other  paraphernalia,  and  for  occasional  juvenile  festivals, 
were  estimated  at  twenty-five  dollars  each  month.  Here, 
at  last,  was  something  to  live  for  !  It  was  a  wonder  that 
Shizu  could  resist  the  temptation  to  renounce  her  matrimo- 
nial prospects,  and  dedicate  herself  to  this  matchless  enter- 
prise. What,  in  comparison,  were  the  ignes  fatui  of 
Yokohama,  or  even  the  more  substantial  glories  of  the 
outer  world, — Scotland,  Britain,  Europe,  the  broad  conti- 
nents of  the  West  ? 

In  the  person  of  Mr.  Roberts,  however,  a  fact  existed 
which  neither  argument  nor  imaginative  sophistry  could 
nullify  or  extinguish.  Under  his  guardianship,  now  legiti- 
mately exercised,  the  young  girl  was  soon  transferred  to 
the  new  position  at  her  old  home  in  the  adjacent  port.  As 
I  had  foreseen,  it  was  not  long  before  the  moral  atmos- 
phere became  too  oppressive  to  be  tolerated  by  the  adven- 
turous merchant;  and,  to  escape  being  stifled  outright,  he 
took  rapid  measures  for  transferring  himself  and  his  be- 
longings to  a  healthier  social  clime.  The  little  matron  came 
several  times,  with  her  Scotch  step-children,  to  visit  us  in 
Tokio,  hoping,  by  gradual  farewells,  to  soften  the  impend- 
ing separation  from  her  schoolfellow  and  friend.  It  was 
not  known  to  any  of  us,  then,  that  no  words  of  final  parting 
would  ever  be  spoken. 

Between  Yone  and  her  American  coadjutor  a  charming 
and  happy  alliance  was  established,  unimpeded  by  the  dif- 
ference in  their  ages,  which  was  nearly  ten  years.  It  ap- 
peared, indeed,  that  in  all  their  little  joint  proceedings  the 
foreigner  was  generally  ready  to  transfer  to  her  younger 
companion  the  direction  which  the  Japanese,  on  the  other 
hand,  would  gladly  have  yielded  to  her  older  and  more 
mature  associate.  One  point  of  disagreement,  however, 
always  divided  them.  No  earnestness,  no  eloquence  of 


226  YONE  SANTO: 

entreaty,  would  induce  Yone  to  visit  Marian  Gibson  at  her 
own  dwelling.  Into  the  house  of  the  Philipsons  she  would 
not  enter,  even  to  meet  the  friend  whom  she  loved.  Those 
women  had  struck  at  her  honor  and  good  name,  and  the 
spirit  usually  so  yielding  and  docile  was  for  once  aroused 
to  a  sharp  and  abiding  sense  of  injury.  She  could  not  be 
turned  from  her  avowal  that  she  would  never  set  foot  in 
their  school,  except  in  the  event  of  being  called  thither  on 
some  errand  of  charity  or  humanity, — a  contingency  of 
which  she  could  foresee  no  possibility. 

Marian  regretted  this  resolution,  but  could  not  withhold 
the  acknowledgment  that  it  was  just,  and  necessary  for 
Yone's  self-respect;  and  this  position  she  hotly  maintained 
whenever  the  Philipsons  incautiously  ventured  an  attack 
upon  any  single  act  of  her  comrade.  She  managed  her 
contests  with  fine  strategy,  I  was  told,  presenting  an  aspect 
of  coolness  which  she  did  not  really  feel,  and  thereby  pro- 
voking her  antagonists  into  glaring  general  indiscretions  of 
speech;  immediately  upon  the  utterance  of  which  she  would 
draw  forth  a  memorandum  book,  and  take  notes  with 
phonographic  rapidity,  murmuring,  the  while,  dark  and 
mysterious  allusions  to  the  work  she  was  preparing  for 
speedy  publication,  on  the  broad  question  of  the  fitness  of 
missionary  measures  and  men,  with  chapters  especially 
designed  for  and  applicable  to  missionary  women.  But  the 
bold  and  courageous  attitude  thus  preserved  in  presence 
of  the  enemy  was  by  no  means  consistently  adhered  to  in 
confidential  intercourse  with  the  children,  who  were  always 
clamorous  for  news  of  their  beloved  Yone,  and  for  messages 
of  fond  remembrance.  These  were  invariably  received, 
and  not  infrequently  imparted,  with  an  emotion  which,  if 
perceived  or  suspected  by  the  heads  of  the  establishment, 
might  have  seriously  impaired  the  glory  of  Miss  Gibson's 
dashing  triumphs  over  her  elders. 

In  July,  1879,  occurred  an  act  which,  in  due  time,  will 
take  its  place  in  history,  notwithstanding  all  efforts  to  ex- 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN .  227 

elude  it,  as  one  of  the  most  revolting  and  inhuman  outrages 
ever  perpetrated  by  superior  force  of  arms  upon  a  feeble 
nation.  Cholera,  the  most  dreaded  scourge  of  the  Far  East, 
had  already  made  its  appearance  in  isolated  cases,  and  the 
government  of  Japan  was  straining  all  its  authority  to 
annul  the  dangers  of  former  years  by  establishing  an  effect- 
ive quarantine  at  the  most  frequented  seaports.  In  the 
midst  of  these  laudable  endeavors,  a  German  merchant 
steamer  arrived  at  Yokohama  directly  from  an  infected 
district.  She  was,  naturally,  ordered  to  comply  with  the 
quarantine  regulations  duly  promulgated.  Her  captain, 
however,  appealed  to  the  German  diplomatic  authorities, 
who  immediately  sent  a  Prussian  ship  of  war  to  the  scene, 
under  convoy  of  which  the  suspected  vessel  was  brought 
into  Yokohama  harbor,  and  her  passengers  and  cargo 
landed,  in  defiance  of  protests  and  warnings  from  Japan- 
ese officers  of  every  rank,  and  from  foreigners  in  their 
medical  service.  What  may,  perhaps,  be  regarded  as  aggra- 
vating the  offense  was  the  fact  that  the  government  of 
Japan  was  at  that  moment  engaged  in  lavishing  hospitality 
with  singular  and  exceptional  liberality  upon  two  grandsons 
of  the  emperor  of  Germany;  and  a  peculiar  coincidence 
in  the  proceedings  was  perceptible  in  the  active  approval 
of  the  quarantine  violation  which  was  exhibited  by  a  foreign 
envoy  at  Tokio,  who  represented  a  sovereign  most  nearly 
allied,  after  their  own  family,  to  the  young  princes  in  ques- 
tion. The  German  and  British  ministers  boldly  maintained 
that  the  interests  of  commerce  must  not  be  endangered  on 
so  insufficient  a  plea  as  the  possible  destruction  of  any 
indefinite  number  of  Japanese  subjects  by  one  of  the  most 
horrible  pests  known  to  mankind.  For  some  time,  indeed, 
it  was  a  matter  of  doubt  whether  British  or  German  vessels 
had  been  mainly  instrumental  in  importing  the  disease. 
The  majority  of  the  official  delegates  from  European  courts 
looked  on  in  calm  indifference.  The  diplomatic  agent 
from  the  United  States,  on  the  contrary,  viewed  the  per- 


228  YONE  SANTO: 

formance  with  unconcealed  aversion  and  horror.  One  of 
the  most  illustrious  soldiers  of  modern  times,  who  was  then 
sojourning  in  Japan, — an  ex-president  of  the  American 
republic,  bringing  to  an  end  a  memorable  voyage  around 
the  world, — openly  avowed  his  opinion  that  the  Japanese 
authorities  would  have  been  fully  warranted  in  directing  the 
guns  of  their  powerful  ironclads  against  the  invading  ships, 
and  straightway  sinking  them,  if  they  stirred  beyond  the 
boundaries  imposed  by  rules  of  quarantine. 

But  the  government,  fearing — no  doubt  with  good  reason 
—to  incur  the  ill-will  of  the  potent  and  unscrupulous 
Chancellor  Bismarck,  saw  no  other  course  open  than  to  re- 
double its  precautions,  and  protest  with  energy  against  the 
cruel  outrage  of  which  it  had  been  the  victim. 

With  quick  and  angry  stride,  the  plague  took  possession 
of  the  country  surrounding  the  open  ports,  and  the  most 
populous  part  of  the  empire  was  stricken  with  desolation. 
The  circumstance  that  Europeans  and  Americans  were  not 
exempt  from  this  inroad,  as  they  mainly  had  been  from 
previous  attacks,  gave  it  an  importance,  in  foreign  eyes,  not 
usually  accorded  to  such  visitations.  The  democratic  and 
impartial  dealings  of  the  destroyer  struck  alarm  to  the 
breasts  of  all  aliens.  Attempts,  more  or  less  efficacious, 
were  made  in  various  directions  to  impede  the  progress  of 
the  disease.  In  Tokio,  particularly,  certain  well-concerted 
hygienic  arrangements  were  organized. 

As  was  naturally  to  be  expected,  though  not  entirely  to 
my  satisfaction,  Yone  presented  herself  at  an  early  stage  of 
the  proceedings.  Something  must  be  given  her  to  do; 
where  and  of  what  nature  she  would  willingly  leave  to  me. 
But  I  must  appoint  her  to  some  line  of  service,  or  she  would 
feel  it  her  duty  to  seek  a  field  for  herself, — and  these,  un- 
happily, were  already  numerous. 

I  was  not  a  little  disturbed  by  this  appeal.  I  felt  that 
she  had  really  not  strength  enough  to  go  into  regular  hos- 
pital work,  and  it  was  only  in  a  hospital  that  I  could  even 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  229 

partially  watch  over  her.  I  reminded  her  of  her  fragile 
condition,  which  she  did  not  attempt  to  deny. 

"  It  is  very  true,"  she  answered;  "  I  am  not  so  strong  as 
I  ought  to  be.  But  my  weakness  is  not  unwholesome 
weakness.  Why,  cholera  cannot  come  near  me.  I  should 
carry  disinfection  into  every  room  I  entered.  When  I  fan 
me,  the  odors  of  carbolics  and  all  sorts  of  acids  fly  many 
yards  about  me." 

This  was  not  so  convincing  as  she  perhaps  hoped,  but  it 
suggested  the  idea  that  if  I  kept  her  near  me  she  might  al- 
ways be  reasonably  safe  from  infection;  whereas  in  her  own 
region,  though  not  in  her  own  dwelling,  the  provocations  to 
disease  were  unnumbered.  I  proposed  that  we  should  ask 
Miss  Gibson  to  give  us  her  counsel,  knowing  that  she 
would  assent  to  everything  for  our  dear  child's  advantage. 

"Oh,  surely,"  said  Yone;"and  if  I  can  work  beside 
Marian,  I  shall  be  so  well  pleased.  What  is  she  doing 
now  ?" 

"  She  is  under  Doctor  M ,  one  of  the  best  of  leaders. 

That  is,  she  was  yesterday;  but  she  will  tell  us  soon.  It  is 
close  upon  her  hour  to  be  here." 

Soon,  indeed,  she  came,  entering  in  a  state  of  no  little 
excitement,  which  increased  the  moment  she  caught  sight 
of  Yone. 

"  This  is  a  strange  piece  of  fortune,  to  find  you  here!  "  she 
exclaimed.  "  I  am  so  glad.  It  has  saved  me  the  trouble 
of  sending  for  her,  Doctor,"  she  added,  turning  to  me. 
"  Would  you  ever  believe  it  ?  We  have  cholera  all  over  the 
school." 

"Nothing  easier  to  believe,"  I  replied,  "considering  the 
notions  of  drainage,  ventilation,  food,  and  everything  per- 
taining to  health  that  have  always  prevailed  there.  Ah, 
well;  having  defied  and  disobeyed  all  my  injunctions,  I 
suppose  they  now  want  me  to  go  and  undo  the  mischief 
they  have  set  on  foot.  If  I  succeed,  it  will  be  the  happy 
result  of  their  petitions  to  heaven;  if  I  fail,  it  will  be  owing 
to  my  lack  of  skill." 


230  YONE  SANTO: 

"  Don't  talk  so,  Doctor,"  said  Miss  Gibson;  "  this  is  not 
a  time  for  ill-feeling,  and  I  know  you  cannot  mean  all 
that  you  say.  Come  and  help  us  with  good  work,  and  let 
those  poor  ladies  manage  their  fastings  and  prayers." 

"What  !  "  I  shouted.  "  Fastings — and  prayers  !  Have 
they  forgotten  what  I  told  them  upon  that  very  point,  and 
the  reasons  for  my  warning  ?  Harken  to  me,  Miss  Gibson: 
go  back  at  once,  and  take  Yone  with  you.  She  will  go,  I 
presume  ?  " 

"Yes,"  said  Yone,  "I  will  go  now." 

"  Very  well;  I  will  follow  in  half  an  hour.  But  unless  you 
you  can  assure  me,  at  the  door,  that  there  is  plenty  of  nourish- 
ing food  in  preparation, — beef  tea  and  chicken  broth,  above 
all, — and  that  the  children  are  not  to  be  harassed  by  pray- 
ing panics,  which  will  go  far  to  take  away  their  weak- 
little  capacity  of  resistance  to  the  disease,  I  swear  to  you  I 
will  not  go  inside  the  house,  nor  move  one  step  in  trying 
to  help  you." 

"  I  think,  Doctor,  you  use  your  opportunity  rather  un- 
fairly," said  Miss  Gibson  dejectedly. 

"  Not  so,  not  so;  what  right  have  you  to  imagine  that  I 
would  oppose  any  practice  which  these  ladies  follow  in  the 
name  of  their  faith,  unless  I  saw  peril  in  it  ?  What  I  pro- 
test against  is  the  resort  to  fasting  at  a  moment  when  phys- 
ical nourishment  should  be  increased  by  every  possible 
means,  and  the  fatal  error  of  allowing  these  timorous  in- 
fants to  believe  themselves  threatened  by  a  danger  which 
nothing  but  supernatural  agencies  can  avert.  I  have  told 
you  repeatedly  that  I  am  an  enemy  to  no  man's  religion. 
But  I  speak  now  as  a  practical  physician.  Some  day  you 
shall  see  the  records  of  the  epidemic  in  Scotland,  a  quarter 
of  a  century  ago.  You  can  soon  learn  the  ghastly  conse- 
quences of  spreading  superstitious  terror  among  starving 
people  at  such  a  time.  You  can  see,  also,  what  the  most 
popular  and  powerful  of  English  statesmen  thought  it 
his  duty  to  do,  in  the  face  of  a  fanatical  demonstration 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  231 

which  was  intended  to  destroy  his  political  life.  But  go 
• — go  !  Every  instant  may  be  of  vital  importance  !  " 

"  Come,  Marian,"  said  Yone;  "you  know  that  the  doctor 
must  understand  best.  We  will  go  at  once,  Doctor,  and 
will  do  everything  that  is  possible." 

The  impetuous  Boston  girl  yielded  to  her  calm  and 
earnest  companion,  and  they  hastened  to  the  scene  of  their 
new  labors. 


XXX. 

CHARMS    AND    SPELLS. 

Miss  GIBSON'S  quick  and  energetic  temperament  was  not 
without  distinct  advantages,  at  times.  On  arriving  at  the 
seminary,  the  two  girls  chanced  to  be  met,  at  the  very  door, 
by  that  notable  reclamatory  agent,  Miss  Jackman.  This 
lady,  it  will  be  readily  believed,  had  brought  back  from  the 
country  no  increased  tenderness  for  the  Japanese  girl 
whose  fastidiousness  had  thwarted  one  of  her  favorite  en- 
terprises. She  planted  herself  on  the  threshold  and  began 
to  interrogate. 

"  May  I  ask,  Miss  Gibson,  upon  what  authority  you  pro- 
pose to  admit  that  young  person  to  this  establishment?" 

Miss  Gibson,  as  I  was  afterward  told,  glared  at  her  ques- 
tioner for  perhaps  twenty  seconds,  expanding,  the  while, 
with  gathering  wrath.  She  then  commenced  to  brandish 
her  umbrella  in  a  wild  and  irregular  fashion,  which  the 
most  practiced  of  French  tambour-majors  would  have  found 
it  difficult  to  emulate.  Presently,  however,  the  movements 
took  a  more  methodical  shape.  They  seemed  to  menace 
the  portly  "  reclaimer  "  from  every  possible  direction,  ex- 
cept the  open  way  to  the  street.  That  was  left  clear,  but 
on  all  other  sides  magical  and  supernatural  passes  weirdly 
threatened  her,  until,  totally  bereft  of  self-possession,  she 
bowed  her  heavy  head,  and  plunged  toward  the  thorough- 


232  YONE  SANTO: 

fare;  acknowledging  her  defeat  by  an  inefficacious  whim- 
per, as  incongruous  with  the  body  from  which  it  emanated 
as  a  mouse's  tiny  squeak  proceeding  from  the  ponderous 
and  ivory  jaws  of  an  elephant. 

Slamming  the  door  after  her  discomfited  adversary,  Miss 
Gibson  turned,  with  a  look  of  exultation  which  showed  that 
the  surrounding  troubles  were  momentarily  forgotten,  and 
exclaimed: — 

"  There  !  I  always  knew  our  sword  exercise  would  do  me 
a  good  turn  one  day.  I  learned  that  eight  years  ago,  Yone, 
dear;  but,  oh,  it  makes  the  wrist  ache.  I  will  teach  it  to 
you  by  and  by." 

Yone  laughed,  actually  laughed,  as  in  the  forests  of 
Hakone;  but,  soon  remembering  the  needs  of  the  situation, 
said: 

"  I  will  run  to  the  children  at  once.  And  you,  Marian, 
please  go  and  get  the  prayer  classes  stopped,  at  least  for  to- 
day, as  Doctor  Charwell  ordered  us." 

The  two  girls  separated  on  their  diverse  errands,  and, 
thirty  minutes  later,  I  found  them  able  to  relieve  all  my 
immediate  anxieties.  Miss  Gibson  had  gained  her  point 
by  fixing  upon  the  mind  of  the  elder  Miss  Philipson — who" 
fancied  herself  hourly  succumbing  to  the  disease,  although 
she  had  shown  thus  far  no  single  symptom  of  it — that  I 
would  not  set  foot  within  the  premises  upon  any  other  con- 
dition; and  Yone,  after  a  first 'hasty  visit  to  the  little  people, 
and  making  them  half  delirious  with  the  joyous  news  that 
she  had  come  to  take  care  of  them,  had  flown  to  the  kitchen, 
where,  conquering  the  cook  absolutely  by  the  mere  bright- 
ness of  her  salutation  and  the  warmth  of  her  sympathetic 
inquiries,  she  had  been  given  complete  command;  had 
turned  the  storeroom  inside  out,  partially  converted  all  the 
available  beef  and  chicken  into  soups,  sent  for  more  mate- 
rial, and  made  the  house  redolent  with  appetizing  odors,  so 
wholesome  and  invigorating  as  to  drive  away,  for  a  time, 
the  dire  disquietude  which  was  beginning  to  prevail. 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  233 

Heavy  cares  soon  descended  upon  us.  The  poor  chil- 
dren, whom  a  false  idea  of  sanitary  economy  had  made 
ready  victims  to  the  pest,  began  to  droop  and  die.  I  was 
obliged,  before  long,  to  run  out  to  Santo's  place,  and  to  in- 
form that  irascible  personage  that  he  could  not  expect  his 
wife's  return  for  an  indefinite  period;  whereupon,  as  was 
anticipated,  he  flung  himself  into  a  rage. 

"  Is  it  my  wife,  or  is  it  not  my  wife,  that  you  are  plotting 
to  keep  away  from  me  ? "  he  vociferated,  with  flaring  eyes. 

"Undoubtedly  it  is  your  wife,  my  most  amiable  Santo; 
but  for  the  rest,  nobody  is  plotting  to  keep  her  away  from 
you." 

"  I  know  all  about  it.  She  was  with  you  in  the  country 
for  the  best  part  of  this  year." 

"  Less  than  a  month,  you  will  find,  Santo,  if  you  consult 
that  admirable  memory  which  is  qne  of  your  finest  posses- 
sions, and  excites  the  envy  of  all  your  neighbors." 

"  And  now  she  has  been  absent  a  week." 

"  Two  days,  if  you  please.  Send  for  the  soroban,  and 
make  the  calculation  with  your  own  nimble  fingers.  You 
will  see  that  it  is  precisely  two  days." 

"  It  does  not  matter  at  all.  I  have  had  my  eyes  wide 
open.  Now,  look  you,  she  is  an  aristocrat.  Do  you  think 
I  care  for  aristocrats  ?  Not  so  much  as  a  spark  from  my 
anvil.  But  it  suited  me  to  have  an  aristocrat  for  my  wife. 
You  need  not  tell  me  !  I  know  she  comes  directly  from  the 
Empress  Suiko,  many  ten  thousand  years  ago.  But  she 
belongs  to  me,  and  I  will  not  have  her  plotting  to  keep 
away  because  she  is  high  born.  Yes,  yes;  I  know,  I 
know  !  " 

"  Excellent  Santo,  did  she  ever  tell  you  she  was  high- 
born ?  " 

"  No,  no;  but  I  am  not  a  frog  in  a  well.  I  know;  yes, 
indeed  !  " 

"  Well,  she  certainly  never  made  any  boasts  to  me,  and 
it  seems  you  are  the  only  one  that  talks  about  it.  As  for 


234  YOKE  SANTO: 

plotting  to  stay  away,  she  shall  come  home  to-day,  if  you 
like,  but  she  will  perhaps  bring  the  cholera  with  her." 

The  boat-builder  staggered,  as  if  he  had  received  a  blow 
in  the  centre  of  his  thick  forehead  from  one  of  his  heaviest 
adzes,  and  for  a  moment  remained  speechless.  The  word 
"  cholera  "  was  invested  with  terrors  too  awful  to  be  ex- 
pressed in  any  language  available  by  the  class  to  which  he 
belonged.  He  retreated  from  me,  gasping  for  breath. 

"Where,  where  " — he  stammered. 

"  Where  is  she,  do  you  mean  ?  She  is  in  my  care,  safe 
enough.  You  had  better  leave  her  with  me  until  the  dis- 
ease has  passed  away  from  Japan.  I  have  far  too  much 
regard  for  you,  my  strong-minded  and  warm-hearted  Santo, 
to  allow  any  risk  to  come  near  your  person." 

"  Thanks;  yes,  thanks.  You  are  always  my  friend.  But 
you,  Charwell-sama, — you  yourself  ?" 

"You  are  too  kind,"  I  answered,  with  some  surprise  at 
this  unexpected  sign  of  consideration;  "but  doctors  are 
never  in  danger,  you  know.  You  need  not  fear  for  me." 

"  Why  should  I  fear  for  you  ? "  he  demanded,  having 
now  made  his  way  outside  of  the  house,  and  put  a  consid- 
erable space  between  himself  and  me.  "  You  !  It  is  all 
in  your  business.  I  am  not  thinking  of  you.  No;  it  is 
the  danger  you  bring  here,  to  me,  Santo  Yorikichi.  I  beg 
you  to  leave  me.  Perhaps  already  " — 

His  voice  faltered,  and  his  bronzed  countenance  took  on 
an  unwholesome  bluish  hue. 

"  Santo,"  said  I,  "  it  is  singular  that  a  marine  architect  of 
your  reputation  cannot  comprehend  that  when  a  man  is  a 
brute  it  is  not  absolutely  commanded  by  nature  that  he 
should  also  be  a  fool.  The  teachings  of  your  earliest  child- 
hood ought  to  remind  you  that  there  are  magical  charms 
against  which  all  the  deadly  diseases  put  together  have  no 
power.  I  have  thrown  one  of  these  charms  around  you. 
I  came  to-day  for  that  purpose.  I  have  been  doing  it 
ever  since  I  arrived.  In  fact,  I  have  just  finished.  You 
are  perfectly  safe.  But  there  is  a  condition  " — 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  233 

"Yes,  yes — anything,  anything,"  he  palpitated;  "only 
give  me  the  charm." 

"  It  is  already  in  operation,  though  you  cannot  see  it," 
said  I;  "a  wave  of  my  hand  has  fastened  it  upon  your 
body,  unknown  to  you.  And  the  condition  " — 

"  Ah,  I  will  be  true  to  it." 

"  It  is  merely  that  you  should  speak  no  word  to  any  per- 
son of  what  I  have  bestowed  upon  you.  You  will  give 
heed  to  this." 

"  Oh,  yes,"  he  answered,  indifferently. 

"  But  you  must  take  great  care,"  I  added.  "  If  you  tell 
what  has  happened,  others  will  apply  to  me,  and  the  pro- 
tection I  give  them  will  be  drawn  away  from  you.  Be 
warned  !  " 

"  Not  a  syllable  shall  pass  my  lips  !  "  exclaimed  the  self- 
ish boor,  with  a  fervor  born  of  newly  excited  fears. 

"Then  all  will  be  well.  Live  quietly,  eat  sparingly," — I 
repeated  a  few  maxims  for  his  general  guidance, — "  and 
the  cholera  will  leave  you  unharmed." 

As  I  walked  away,  I  endeavored  to  congratulate  myself 
that  I  had  made  one  human  being — of  a  tolerably  low 
grade,  but  still  human — confident  and  reliant  in  the  midst 
of  a  panic-stricken  community.  Santo  felt  himself  en- 
tirely safe,  with  all  the  trustfulness  of  a  believer  in  spells, 
incantations,,  and  the  mysterious  potency  of  a  science  un- 
familiar to  him.  No  preventive,  however  skillfully  com- 
pounded, no  watchfulness  of  treatment,  would  have  gone  a 
hundreth  part  as  far  toward  rendering  him  inaccessible  to 
the  epidemic.  For  such  as  he,  a  firm  conviction  that  in- 
fection cannot  touch  them  is  an  almost  certain  guarantee 
of  exemption.  I  was  reasonably  sure,  then,  that  I  had 
made  one  wretched  creature's  life  secure  by  appealing  to 
his  blind  ignorance  and  superstition.  After  all,  it  is  per- 
haps not  only  among  the  illiterate  that  medical  craft  finds 
it  necessary  to  resort  to  such  devices,  and  it  might  not  be 
disadvantageous  if  intelligence  and  enlightenment  could 
sometimes  be  wrought  upon  as  effectively. 


236  YONE  SANTO: 


XXXI. 

CALAMITY. 

As  I  entered  the  school,  the  next  morning,  I  was  met  at 
the  door  by  Miss  Gibson,  whose  countenance  gave  warning 
of  new  evils. 

"What  has  happened  ?"  I  asked. 

"  The  children  are  no  better,"  she  said,  "  and  Miss  Phil- 
ipson  has  at  last  frightened  herself  into  real  cholera,  I  do 
believe." 

"Hardly  that,  I  think;  she  will  not  be  an  easy  victim. 
She  has  never  subjected  herself  to  the  regimen  of  the 
establishment.  Is  that  all  ?  " 

"  Alas  !  that  is  not  all,  Doctor;  I  have  been  greatly  to 
blame.  I  cannot  understand  how  I  could  be  so  thoughtless. 
I  mentioned  it  to  Yone." 

"  Mentioned  what  ?  " 

"  I  told  her  that  Miss  Philipson  had  been  taken  ill.  It 
was  late.  The  children  were  mostly  at  rest,  and  she — 
Yone  "— 

"I  see,"  said  I  sternly;  "you  need  tell  me  no  more." 

"  Don't,  Doctor,  don't !  "  she  implored,  covering  her  face 
with  her  hands.  "  Heaven  knows  I  foresaw  no  evil.  And 
even  now  " — 

"Well,  child,  well,"  I  answered,  as  I  led  the  way  to  the 
sick-room;  "  she  would  have  had  to  hear  of  it  from  some 
one,  I  suppose.  And  then  she  is  fated;  I  have  always  felt 
that.  The  long  sacrifice  of  her  life  can  have  only  one  fit- 
ting end.  So,  then,  tell  me." 

"  It  was  about  nine  o'clock,  Doctor.  I  had  gone  to  watch 
with  the  children,  meaning  that  Yone  should  have  a  good 
night's  rest;  and  by  telling  her  she  would  soon  be  fit  for 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  237 

nothing  if  she  allowed  herself  so  little  sleep,  I  persuaded 
her  to  leave  everything  in  my  hands,  until  the  morning.  It 
was  only  by  chance — a  miserable,  hateful  chance — that  I 
spoke  of  Miss  Philipson's  attack.  The  instant  I  mentioned 
it  I  saw  the  mischief  I  had  done,  and  tried  to  make  light  of 
the  matter;  but  Yone  shook  her  head,  and  said,  '  No,  I 
must  go  to  her.'  I  assured  her  that  the  younger  sister  was 
perfectly  well,  and  could  do  all  that  was  requisite,  but  again 
she  said,  '  Oh,  no,  Miss  Kezia  is  not  equal  to  it;  I  will  go.' 
Then  I  promised  to  look  after  the  old  lady  myself,  watch- 
ing half  the  night  here  and  half  with  Miss  Philipson;  but 
she  would  listen  to  nothing." 

"You  should  have  known  she  would  not." 

"  I  ought,  indeed.  Oh,  Doctor,  do  not  reproach  me.  If 
any  harm  befalls,  what  shall  I  do, — what  shall  I  do  ?  " 

"  And  did  she  pass  the  night  there  ?" 

"  She  did.  I  was  there  every  half  hour.  When  I  first 
went  in  with  her,  the  Philipsons  made  a  pretense  of  refus- 
ing her  aid,  and  then  accepted  it  as  if  they  were  bestowing 
a  favor.  Yone  said  not  a  word,  but  set  about  caring  for  the 
thankless  woman  lying  in  bed.  As  for  that  useless  Kezia, 
she  sat  comfortably  in  an  armchair,  taking  great  praise  and 
glory  to  herself  for  staying  and  tending  her  dear  afflicted 
sister,  whom  she  never  went  near,  contenting  herself  with 
ordering  Yone  about,  until  I  told  her  plainly  that  if  she 
spoke  another  word  in  my  hearing,  I  would  take  her  out  of 
the  room  with  my  own  hands,  and  lock  her  up  some- 
where." 

"Ah,  my  child,  if  you  could  have  done  that  with 
Yone  !  " 

"  I  did  what  I  could,  Doctor;  little  enough,  but  my  best. 
I  gave  her  some  beef  tea,  and  made  her  rest  at  intervals, 
while  I  nursed  and  fanned  that  impatient  creature.  Doc- 
tor, not  all  the  children  together  have  shown  one  tenth  of 
the  ill-temper,  selfishness, — oh,  I  can't  say  what, — of  that 
one  woman  in  a  single  night.  At  dawn,  or  just  before,  I 


238  YONE   SANTO: 

did  contrive  to  get  my  darling  to  my  own  room,  promising 
faithfully  to  call  her  if  I  found  things  going  beyond  me. 
But  I  fear  "— 

"What?" 

"  I  fear  that  the  real  reason  why  she  consented  to  go  was 
that  she  felt  her  strength  was  leaving  her,  and  that  she 
could  do  no  more." 

"Come,"  said  I,  starting  forward;  "we  have  delayed  too 
long." 

On  entering  her  chamber,  we  found  Yone  sleeping.  I 
looked  carefully  at  her  face,  and,  while  I  saw  enough  .to 
give  me  deep  concern,  I  discovered  no  trace  of  that  which 
was  most  to  be  feared.  Placing  on  guard  a  quiet  little 
scholar  who  was  devoted  to  her, — as  which  of  them  was 
not  ? — with  instructions  to  run  for  me  the  instant  she  saw 
signs  of  waking,  I  first  went  the  round  of  the  youthful  inva- 
lids, having  reasons  for  doubting  the  existence  of  the  ex- 
tremest  peril  on  Miss  Philipson's  part,  and  finally  made  my 
way  to  that  lady's  apartment. 

"  Oh,  Doctor  Charwell,"  she  cried,  as  soon  as  she  caught 
sight  of  me,  "  at  last,  thank  Heaven,  at  last.  Twice  have 
I  been  at  the  point  of  death,  twice  at  death's  very  door. 
Save  me,  oh,  save  me  ! " 

"Certainly,  madam,"  said  I.  "I  have  come  for  that 
express  purpose." 

"  I  sent  for  you,  sir,  twice,  last  night,"  continued  the 
excited  spinster.  "  Two  separate  times,  when  I  felt  death 
stealing  upon  me,  I  gave  orders  that  you  should  be  sum- 
moned, but  I  suppose  you  were  absent, — absent  from  home, 
Doctor  Charwell,  when  the  grim  spectre  was  hovering  over 
me." 

"Well,  Madam,"  I  replied,  "  I  am  absent  from  home  now, 
for  that  matter.  The  grim  spectre  is  hovering  over  more 
sick  people  hereabout  than  you,  perhaps,  are  aware  of; 
but  still,  I  do  not  remember  " — 

I  stopped  abruptly  at  a  sign  from  Miss  Gibson,  who  pri- 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  239 

vately  told  me  that  Yone  had  taken  it  upon  herself  to 
countermand  the  order,  knowing  that  the  case  did  not  then 
require  my  attention,  and  that  I  needed  all  the  rest  I  could 
obtain. 

"  She  thinks  of  everybody,"  I  whispered  to  Miss  Gibson, 
"  except  herself." 

"  Oh,  Doctor,  tell  me,  is  there  any  hope  for  me  ? "  moaned 
the  occupant  of  the  bed. 

"I  should  be  glad,"  I  suggested,  "to  know  who  looked 
after  you  during  the  night." 

"  She  was  well  cared  for,"  said  the  younger  sister.  "  I 
was  here  myself,  from  the  moment  the  danger  declared 
itself." 

"Ah,  then,"  I  observed,  examining  the  medicine  phials, 
"  so  these  were  measured  and  administered  by  your  skillful 
hands,  Miss  Kezia.  Nothing  could  be  more  regular." 

"  Miss  Gibson  undertook  it  occasionally,"  was  the  reply, 
every  syllable  of  which  sounded  like  the  snapping  of  a  jack- 
daw's beak. 

As  the  reader  knows,  I  had  been  made  aware  of  what 
had  passed,  but,  since  it  suited  my  humor  that  the  truth 
should  be  drawn  from  the  reluctant  couple,  I  pursued  my 
inquiries  relentlessly. 

"  Then  you  and  Miss  Gibson  were  the  only  attendants  ?  " 

"No,  sir,  not  necessarily,"  rejoined  the  now  angry 
Kezia. 

"  Who  were  the  others,  permit  me  to  ask  ?  " 

"  Is  it  important,  Doctor  Charwell,  that  you  should  know 
the  name  of  every  person  who  may  have  happened  to  be 
called  in  during  the  course  of  the  night  ?  " 

"  Doctor  Charwell,"  interposed  the  elder  sister,  "  I  insist 
that  you  answer  my  question,  instead  of  continuing  this 
useless  catechism.  Is  my  life  to  be  sacrificed  in  this  dread- 
ful devastation,  or  shall  I  be  spared  ? " 

"You  see,  madam,"  I  responded,  "it  is  desirable  that  I 
know  what  particular  treatment  you  have  been  under;  and 


240  YO.VE  SAX  TO: 

to  learn  that,  I  should  be  informed  of  the  names  of  your 
attendants." 

"  Well,  then,  do  let  him  know,"  said  the  invalid.  "  There 
was  my  sister;  and  there  was  Miss  Gibson, — very  kind,  in- 
deed, of  her;  and  there  was  that  Yone  Santo,  who  seemed 
determined  to  come  in, — I  don't  know  why;  nobody  asked 
her." 

"  Then  I  will  tell  you  why,"  broke  in  Miss  Gibson.  "  It 
was  because  difficult  and  wearying  and  thankless  work  had 
to  be  done;  and  wherever  such  things  are  required,  there 
you  will  find  Yone  Santo  on  the  spot." 

"  Oh,  indeed  !"  sneered  Miss  Kezia;  "and  little  enough 
return  for  the  countless  blessings  that  have  been  showered 
upon  her  from  this  house." 

"  Come,  Miss  Philipson,"  I  remarked,  taking  my  hat  in 
hand,  "  I  can  afford  to  waste  no  more  time  here.  Unless 
my  questions  are  answered,  I  shall  be  obliged  to  leave 
you." 

"  Don't  let  him  go,"  screamed  the  recumbent  Sophia. 
"  Tell  him  all  he  wants  to  know,  I  commandyou,  Kezia.  I 
slept  so  much  that  I  remember  nothing." 

"  Oh,  well  !  "  exclaimed  the  junior,  while  tears  of  spite 
stood  in  the  corners  of  her  eyes;  "after  nine  o'clock,  Yone 
Santo  undertook  a  good  deal  of  the  work." 

"  After  nine  o'clock  ?  "  I  asked. 

"Yes,  sir;  after  nine." 

"  And  at  what  hour  did  the  symptoms  begin  to  appear  ? " 

"  At  what  hour  ?     Let  me  see. " 

"  Shall  I  tell  you  ?  "  inquired  Miss  Gibson. 

"  No,  miss;  your  interference  has  already  been  more  than 
sufficient.  It  was  about  nine  o'clock,  sir." 

"  Then,"  said  I,  "  Yone's  attention  began  immediately 
upon  the  appearance  of  the  disease.  You  are  trifling  with 
me,  ladies.  I  bid  you  good-day." 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Kezia  ? "  shrieked  the  terror-stricken 
elder.  "How  dare  you  disobey  me?  Tell  him  the  truth 
at  once  !  " 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  241 

"Oh,  if  you  wish  me  to  magnify  that  creature  into  a 
saint" — 

"  Never  mind  what  I  wish.  I  wish  to  be  cured.  That  is 
the  first  thing.  Afterward,  we  can  " — 

"Very  good,"  hastily  interrupted  Miss  Kezia,  whose  wits 
Were  a  little  more  manageable,  for  the  moment,  than  those 
of  her  confused  senior;  "  then,  if  you  must  know,  Yone 
was  here  from  about  nine  last  evening,  when  the  illness 
first  showed  itself,  until  sunrise." 

"  No  one  else  touched  the  medicines  ?  " 

"N — no;  unless,  perhaps,  Miss  Gibson." 

"I  did  nothing,"  said  the  young  lady  referred  to,  "but 
lend  Yone  my  strong  arms  once  or  twice." 

"And  this  excellent  friend  of  ours,"  I  continued,  re- 
solved, in  my  irritation,  to  push  the  matter  home,  "  did 
nothing  of  any  kind,  I  conclude." 

"  It  was  surely  needful,"  Miss  Kezia  feebly  protested, 
"  that  somebody  should  superintend  the  proceedings." 

"Precisely,  precisely,"  said  I.  "And  now,  Miss  Philip- 
son,  I  will  answer  the  question  I  would  have  answered  im- 
mediately, if  your  sister  had  obliged  me  with  the  informa- 
tion I  have  with  difficulty  extracted.  From  the  moment 
that  I  know  you  were  in  the  hands  of  Yone  Santo,  I  know 
also  that  you  are  undoubtedly  safe,  without  reference  to 
your  sister's  capabilities  of  superintendence.  Yone's  ex- 
perience was  large,  last  year,  as  you  ought  to  remember 
gratefully.  She  knows  as  well  as  I  what  needs  to  be  done, 
and  you  may  count  yourself  a  fortunate  woman  in  having 
secured  a  ministration  which  I  don't  mind  saying,  madam, 
you  have  not  in  any  degree  deserved." 

I  need  hardly  remark  that  the  invalid's  condition  was 
not  such  as  to  excite  the  least  alarm,  as  in  that  case  I  should 
have  taken  a  more  rapid  diagnosis.  Whatever  danger  there 
might  have  been  in  the  beginning  had  evidently  vanished 
some  hours  before;  and  I  was  simply  enjoying  my  oppor- 
tunity of  probing  for  the  conscience  which  these  two  ladies 


242  YONE  SANTO  : 

might  be  supposed  to  possess, — an  operation  which  may 
be  pronounced  heartless  and  unmanly,  but  which  I  shall 
not  take  the  trouble  to  defend; — neither  that  nor  any  part 
of  my  subsequent  conduct  toward  this  earnest-minded  and 
otherwise  gifted  couple. 

Half  an  hour  later,  I  was  called,  by  her  little  guardian,  to 
the  chamber  in  which  Yone  was  reposing.  The  child  con- 
fided to  me  that  her  kindest  of  teachers  was  not  so  kind  as 
usual,  this  morning.  Instead  of  telling  beautiful  stories, 
as  she  always  could,  she  kept  interrupting  the  natural  flow 
of  her  Japanese  speech  with  long  sentences  in  English,  and 
would  speak  of  nothing  but  furnaces,  ovens,  and  such  un- 
pleasant things.  I  sent  the  child  for  Miss  Gibson,  and 
made  all  speed  to  Yone's  bedside. 

"You  are  there,  Doctor?"  she  said,  smiling  faintly.  "  I 
was  going  to  dress  me,  but  the  atmosphere  is  so  heavy  here 
that  I  cannot  get  my  strength.  It  is  so  warm  in  this  place, 
close  to  the  stoves;  I  cannot  bear  it." 

As  I  brought  her  some  water,  Miss  Gibson  entered. 

"Why  have  they  kindled  all  the  fires?"  continued  Yone, 
speaking  with  great  rapidity  and  a  slight  huskiness  of 
utterance. 

"There  are  no  fires,  my  dear,"  said  Miss  Gibson;  "there 
would  be  none  in  any  case,  on  this  floor." 

"  Hark,  Marian;  you  will  hear  the  roar  of  the  blaze,  as 
well  as  feel  the  heat.  Oh,  Doctor,  it  is  terrible  !  What  will  the 
little  sick  ones  do  ?  I  must  go  and  stop  it.  And  see,"  she 
exclaimed,  glancing  at  the  window,  "the  sun,  the  sun  itself, 
is  coming  near  us  !  What  fearful  sounds  !  Dear  friends, 
what  is  threatening  us  ?  Look  from  the  window.  That 
angry,  raging  sun  comes  to  consume  us." 

She  made  a  sudden  attempt  to  spring  out  upon  the  floor, 
but,  being  withheld,  covered  her  face  with  the  bed-clothes, 
shuddering  violently.  Miss  Gibson  gazed  at  me  in  speech- 
less horror. 

"Yone,  hear  me,"  I  said  firmly.     "  I  can  free  you  from 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  243 

some  of  your  anxieties,  but  you  must  put  great  faith  in  me. 
Try  to  believe  everything  that  I  tell  you,  even  if  it  is  hard 
to  do  so.  Doubt  nothing  that  I  say  for  a  little  while,  no 
matter  if  you  fancy  I  am  mistaken,  or  am  misleading  you. 
And  you,  Miss  Gibson,  will  think  of  the  invalids  else- 
where. You  will  go" — 

"  No,  Doctor,  no.    I  shall  stay  here.    Could  you  think  "- 

I  stopped  her  with  a  hasty  and  violent  gesture,  pointing 
also  to  Yone,  whose  face  was  still  concealed  by  the  bed- 
coverings,  to  indicate  that  my  meaning  must  be  hidden 
from  her. 

"  You  will  go,"  I  continued,  "  and  order  all  the  ice  that 
can  be  purchased,  to  be  carried  to  the  place  where  you 
will  understand  it  is  most  needed.  Then  run  across,  your- 
self, to  my  hospital,  select  a  comfortable  litter,  send  it — no, 
let  my  servants  bring  it,  and  come  you  also.  But  leave 
instructions  to  make  ready  the  up-stairs  room  in  the  south- 
west corner.  Be  here  again  in  less  than  five  minutes." 

She  was  off  like  the  wind. 

"  Now,  Yone,  said  I,  "can  you  speak  with  me?" 

"  Yes,  Doctor,"  she  answered,  cautiously  drawing  down 
the  coverings.  "  Is  the  danger  past  ?  Did  Marian  bring 
it  and  take  it  away?  But  that  is  impossible;  yet  she  is 
gone.  Tell  me,  Doctor,  what  is  this  dreadful  heat  ?  " 

She  was  again  speaking  rapidly  and  wildly.  My  hope 
was  that  I  could  keep  my  hold  upon  her  reason  until  our 
friend  should  return  with  the  litter,  and  Yone's  rare  docility 
and  confidence  enabled  me  to  accomplish  this,  in  good 
part.  She  realized,  at  least,  that  she  had  overtasked  her- 
self, and  accepted  my  assurance  that  she  must  rest  for  a 
while,  without  work  of  any  sort.  I  allowed  her  to  think  the 
interval  might  be  short,  in  order  to  cheer  her  with  the  hope 
of  speedily  resuming  her  labors. 

In  less  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  she  was  on  the  way  to 
a  more  suitable  place  for  treatment.  While  passing  through 
the  street,  from  one  house  to  the  other,  she  spoke  once,  in 
supplicating  tones: — 


244  YONE  SANTO: 

"  Doctor, — Marian, — must  I  stay  in  this  burning  boat, 
while  you  float  beside  me  in  the  cool  water  ? " 

From  that  moment,  for  many  a  day,  she  uttered  no  word 
that  could  be  understood  by  any  listener.  Miss  Gibson  at 
once  dedicated  herself  to  the  sufferer,  and  at  first  resented 
the  idea  of  sharing  her  task  of  affection  with  a  hired 
assistant. 

"My  arms  are  strong,  and  my  head  is  clear,"  she  said; 
"  there  is  nothing  I  cannot  do." 

"  But  your  heart  is  not  hard,"  I  told  her;  "  and  some 
exercise  of  force  will  probably  be  needed.  No,  my  child, 
you  must  have  a  professional  nurse  with  you.  There  is  no 
help  for  it." 

XXXII. 

DARK    SHADOWS. 

THE  cholera  ran  its  course  among  us,  desolating  many  a 
household,  and  filling  the  city  with  gloom.  More  than  one 
hundred  thousand  victims  were  believed  to  have  been  sac- 
rificed to  the  perversity  and  arrogance  of  two  ruthless 
agents  of  foreign  oppression.  But  all  traces  of  the  visita- 
tion had  vanished  long  before  our  most  cherished  patient 
recovered  her  reason.  And  when  the  light  of  understanding 
returned  to  her  countenance,  it  was  with  an  anxious  dread 
that  I  beheld  the  ravages  which  a  violent  fever  had 
wrought  upon  her  delicate  frame.  Marian  Gibson,  less 
tutored  by  experience,  was  able  to  contain  her  joy  at  what 
seemed  to  her  the  beginning  of  the  recovery  only  on  being 
warned  that  Yone  must  be  kept  in  ignorance  of  the  peril- 
ous state  to  which  she  had  been  reduced.  Her  intellect 
being  fully  restored,  Marian  now  became  her  sole  attend- 
ant. Indeed,  excepting  that  devoted  girl  and  myself,  she 
saw  no  one.  The  thick-witted  husband,  still  terrified  by 
wild  visions  of  cholera, — which  disease  had  never  touched 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  245 

Yone  at  all, — would  not  come  near  her;  and,  indeed,  his 
rough  presence  and  coarse  speech  were  not  much  to  be  de- 
sired in  an  invalid's  chamber. 

This  was  a  time  when  the  assistance  of  Shizu  Miura 
would  have  been  gladly  welcomed,  but  she  was  already  on 
the  way  to  her  new  home  in  a  distant  land.  Deep  was  the 
affectionate  girl's  distress  at  leaving  the  companion  of  her 
childhood  in  bodily  pain  and  peril,  but  Roberts's  plans  for 
removal  had  been  definitely  arranged  before  the  illness, 
and  could  not  be  set  aside  without  injury  to  the  interests 
of  many  parties.  He  was  more  touched  than  I  had  ex- 
pected by  the  harsh  necessity  which  compelled  his  wife  to 
depart  at  a  period  when  the  mind  of  her  friend  and  bene- 
factress was  clouded,  and  no  intelligent  farewell  could  be 
given  or  received.  He  promised  without  hesitation  that 
Shizu  should  be  privileged  to  return,  after  an  interval;  and 
though  the  pledge  was  undoubtedly  qualified  by  mental 
reservations,  the  deception  was  kindly  intended,  and  bene- 
ficial in  effect. 

As  the  days  went  on,  bringing  no  gain  of  strength  to 
Yone,  I  called  for  the  opinions,  one  by  one,  of  the  fellow- 
members  of  my  profession,  whose  earnest  and  unaffected 
concern  was  a  true  consolation  in  that  afflicted  period. 
The  missionary  physicians — a  set  of  men  loftily  elevated, 
as  a  rule,  above  their  exclusively  religious  colleagues  in  the 
extreme  East,  were  foremost  in  proffering  their  aid,  with 
the  magnanimity  which  is  developed,  I  make  no  doubt,  by 
their  humane  vocation,  and  which  rises  superior  to  the 
intolerance  that  often  accompanies  imperfect  education. 
Not  a  few  of  these  were  familiar  with  the  fine  spirit  and 
character  of  my  patient,  and  well  knew  that  her  loss  would 
be  a  grievous  bereavement  to  the  sick  and  poor  of  her  quar- 
ter. But  they  could  say  little,  either  in  encouragement  or 
the  reverse.  We  could  hope  only  for  the  healing  touch  of 
Nature's  comforting  hand,  and  those  whose  eyes  were 
keenest  saw  that,  to  be  effective,  this  must  not  be  much 
longer  withheld. 


246  YOJVE  SANTO  : 

Presently  we  thought  it  wisest  to  allow  her  such  simple 
diversions  as  befitted  her  condition,  and,  for  several  days, 
some  of  her  little  favorites  from  the  school  were  invited  to 
be  with  her,  of  an  afternoon.  She  asked  for  others,  who 
had  not  been  able  to  struggle  through  the  ordeal  of  the 
previous  month;  and  when  we  could  not  answer,  the 
effect  was  so  painful  that  we  deemed  the  experiment  too 
severe  for  repetition.  But  she  begged  so  piteously  for  her 
child  friends,  promising  that  she  would  no  more  be  dis- 
turbed by  the  absence  of  any  of  them,  that  they  were  ad- 
mitted again  without  further  discussion. 

"  Why  shall  I  mind  missing  those  that  are  gone  ? "  she 
said,  with  a  strange  expression  in  her  thoughtful  eyes;  "it 
is  for  such  little  time.  My  doctor  knows  it  will  soon  be 
their  turn  to  come  to  Yone's  arms,  and  then  these  will  be 
the  absent  ones." 

I  think,  from  something  which  happened  a  little  later, 
that  she  would  not  have  spoken  thus  if  Miss  Gibson  had 
been  present;  but  she  turned  her  face  to  me  with  a  smile 
of  sorrowful  meaning,  from  which  I  learned  for  the  first 
time  with  certainty  what  the  near  future  had  in  store  for  us. 

One  day  the  Philipson  sisters  presented  themselves,  with 
an  intimation  that,  if  desired,  they  would  favor  the  sick  girl 
with  an  interview.  I  had  then  determined  to  defer  in 
everything  to  Yone's  wishes,  and  on  finding  that  she  made 
no  objection,  the  ladies  were  admitted,  though  not  with 
Miss  Gibson's  cordial  concurrence. 

"Why,  Yone,  child,"  was  the  salutation  of  the  elder, 
"  how  shockingly  you  look  !  Have  they  taken  proper  care 
of  you  here,  I  wonder? " 

"  Shocking,  indeed,"  said  Miss  Kezia;  whereupon  a  sharp 
glance  passed  between  the  pair,  foretelling  a  philological 
combat  aToutrance,  at  the  first  opportunity,  on  the  question 
of  employing  adverbs  or  adjectives,  here  represented  by 
"shockingly  "  and  "  shocking,"  in  certain  familiar  forms  of 
expression. 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  247 

"  Not  quite  such  perfect  care  as  Yone  took  of  you,  Miss 
Sophia,"  remarked  Miss  Gibson;  "but  still  the  best  it  was 
in  our  power  to  afford." 

"  I  have  been  treated  most  kindly,"  was  heard,  in  Yone's 
calm,  sweet  voice;  "and  of  kindness  only  let  us  think,  if  I 
may  ask  it.  You  are  welcome  here,  ladies;  it  does  gladden 
me  that  you  passed  through  all  danger  without  harm." 

"We  are  quite  well,  Yone,"  Miss  Sophia  replied,  "as  I 
am  sure  you  will  be,  soon." 

"  Oh,  we  are  all  sure  of  that !  "  exclaimed  the  junior. 

But  to  this  our  invalid  did  not  incline  to  respond,  al- 
though she  regarded  both  the  sisters  with  a  pleasant  smile. 

"Well,  we  cannot  stay  long,"  said  Miss  Sophia,  rising. 
"  I  hope,  Yone,  we  are  friends." 

"  I  wish  you  well,  Miss  Philipson,  with  all  my  heart." 

"  You  know,  if  I  sometimes  seemed  a  little  harsh  " — 

"  Do  not  speak  of  it,  I  beg;  it  has  not  a  place  in  my 
thoughts,"  said  Yone. 

"  It  was  my  religion  that  compelled  me  to  take  a  course 
toward  you  which  I  would  often  have  wished  to  avoid;  but 
you  cannot  understand  that." 

"  Certainly  not,"  affirmed  the  second  Miss  P.;  "we  do  not 
expect  you  to." 

Yone  now  turned  her  lustrous  eyes  upon  them. 

"  No,"  she  said  slowly;  "  no,  truly,  I  cannot  understand 
that." 

"  Never  mind,"  rejoined  Miss  Sophia,  glancing  quickly 
at  Miss  Gibson  and  myself;  "  never  mind,  we  shall  see  you 
again  soon,  and  meanwhile  I  will  pray  for  your  convales- 
cence." 

"Do  not  think  of  that,  madam;  there  is  no  need,  and 
your  prayers  would  not  avail." 

A  scared  look  passed  over  the  elderly  woman's  face,  and 
her  thin,  pinched  lips  trembled  as  she  replied: — 

"  Why,  Yone,  you  speak  as  if  you  hated  me.  I  have  al- 
ways wished  to  be  your  friend.  And  why  should  my 
prayers  be  unheard  ?  " 


248  YONE  SAM  TO: 

"  I  never  hated  anybody,  Miss  Philipson.  I  should  be 
in  despair  now,  if  I  could  remember  to  have  hated  any- 
body. And  I  thank  you  for  your  offer.  I  should  have 
done  that  before,  but  I  was  thinking  how  certain  it  was 
that  no  prayers  could  keep  me  in  this  world.  And  my 
mind  was  fixed  upon  another  matter,  besides.  We  are 
taught,  in  our  faith,  that  those  who  are  taken  away  to 
heaven  are  permitted  to  plead  for  those  who  are  left 
behind;  and  if,  hereafter,  I  am  not  unworthy  to  be  heard, 
I  shall  have  no  such  happiness  as  to  recall  all  the  good" — 

She  was  interrupted  by  a  sudden  start  from  Miss  Philip- 
son,  who,  pressing  a  handkerchief  to  her  lips,  moved  hastily 
toward  the  bed  in  which  Yone  lay.  What  her  impulse 
might  have  been  I  never  knew.  It  remained  unfulfilled; 
for  after  two  or  three  quick  steps,  she  turned  about,  mur- 
mured something  the  sense  of  which  was  obscured  by  her 
handkerchief,  and  hurriedly  withdrew  from  the  chamber, 
pulling  her  sister  after  her.  If  it  was  a  tardy  impulse  of 
tenderness, — as  to  which,  indeed,  I  cannot  be  sure, — it  was 
checked  before  it  could  declare  itself;  and  I  have  more  than 
enough  reason  to  believe  it  was  held  in  characteristic  re- 
straint forever  after. 

While  Yone  was  speaking,  the  color  vanished  from  Miss 
Gibson's  face,  leaving  it  of  a  death-like  hue;  and  as  the 
visitors  departed,  she  quickly  followed  them,  with  an  ap- 
parent pretense  of  taking  leave  outside.  Being  alarmed  for 
her,  I,  too,  presently  followed,  and  found  her  alone,  in  a 
state  of  passionate  and  convulsive  grief. 

"It  is  not  true,  Doctor,"  she  sobbed;  "  her  delirium  has 
returned.  There  was  no  meaning  in  those  awful  words. 
Oh,  tell  me,  tell  me  " — 

"  If  you  can  be  calm,  Miss  Gibson,  you  shall  know  all 
that  I  know.  But  if  I  may  not  reckon  upon  you,  where 
shall  I  look  ?  To-morrow,  I  give  you  my  word,  I  will  tell 
you  my  true  conviction." 

"  To-morrow  !     But  I  shall  fear  the  coming  of  each  day, 


A  CHILD  OF  JAP Atf.  249 

now.  And  I,  also,  have  something  to  tell.  Perhaps  I 
should  have  told  before;  perhaps,  I  have  thought,  I  should 
not  tell  at  all.  I  have  been  greatly  perplexed,  but  now  you 
give  me  new  and  terrible  reasons  for  deciding  quickly." 

"  Does  it  concern  Yone  ?  " 

"Yes,  closely,  intimately." 

"Then  I  should  say —  But  you  will  judge  best,  no 
doubt." 

"  Do  not  be  offended,  Doctor.  It  is  a  matter  of  much 
difficulty.  I  have  had  such  anxious  hours;  but  from  this 
moment  I  am  resolved.  To-night  you  shall  learn  the  whole. 
As  soon  as  I  can  leave  Yone,  I  will  go  to  your  office." 

At  a  later  hour  she  came,  bringing  news  that  was  indeed 
unlocked  for. 

XXXIII. 

LAST    LESSONS. 

"ARTHUR  MILTON  is  here  !  " 

My  amazement  was  so  great  that  for  a  while  I  could  not 
answer,  but  stared  speechlessly  at  her,  awaiting  further  in- 
telligence. As  she  likewise  remained  silent,  I  brought  my 
mind  to  bear  more  clearly  upon  the  strange  announcement, 
and  to  consider  what  it  portended. 

"  Arthur  Milton  ? "  I  repeated.  "  Here  again,  to  witness — 
Do  you  mean  that  he  is  in  this  city  ? " 

"I  believe  so;  certainly  not  far  away.  I  received  a 
letter  from  him,  dated  Yokohama,  early  this  morning, — a 
truly  mournful  and  penitent  letter.  Doctor,  I  do  think  it 
would  move  the  most  unforgiving  spirit.  Pray  tell  me,  are 
you  as  sure  as  ever  that  he  has  no  good  quality  in  him  ?  " 

"  He  has  ingenuity,  at  least.  Why  did  he  write  to  you, 
instead  of  me,  do  you  suppose  ? " 

"I  have  been  wondering  why." 

"Then   I   will   tell   you.     Because   he   knew  his   false 


250  YONE  SANTO: 

lamentations  could  no  longer  impose  upon  me,  and  he 
thought  a  woman  might  be  more  successfully  deluded. 
Nothing  could  be  easier  than  for  him  to  learn  how  intimate 
you  and  Yone  had  become.  He  would  have  no  difficulty 
in  informing  himself  about  our  journey  in  the  country.  I'll 
warrant  he  urges  you  to  conceal  his  return,  and  the  fact  of 
his  writing,  from  me." 

"  You  are  not  altogether  right,  Doctor.  He  asks  me  to 
see  him  first,  and  after  one  interview  he  is  willing — he  de- 
sires, even — that  you  shall  be  told.  I  wish  to  be  guided 
solely  by  what  is  best  for  Yone.  I  think  of  nothing  else. 
I  will  leave  his  letter  with  you,  and  to-morrow  morning  we 
will  consider  all  its  merits,  or  its  faults.  But  I  must  ask, — 
more  than  that,  I  must  demand — to  speak  and  to  be  heard 
in  this  matter.  Yone  is  a  woman,  my  younger  sister, — I 
feel  her  to  be  that,  and  nothing  less;  and  there  are  things 
concerning  which  a  woman's  loving  instinct  is  more  to  be 
trusted  than  the  wisest  father's  sagacity.  Doctor  Charwell, 
we  must  think  and  work  together  in  this." 

"God  bless  you,  my  child;  I  ask  for  nothing  better  than 
your  generous  help;  but  I  beseech  you  to  build  no  flatter- 
ing hope  on  so  vain  a  foundation  as  Milton's  honor  or  in- 
tegrity. That  is  my  only  warning.  And  now,  good-night." 

The  letter,  as  might  be  expected,  was  eloquent,  pathetic, 
and  eminently  calculated  to  move  the  compassion  of  any 
person  not  familiar  with  the  writer's  loose  and  vacillating 
nature.  Knowing  him  as  I  now  did,  I  nevertheless  was 
struck  with  its  seeming  grief  and  remorse.  It  was  most 
difficult  to  distrust  the  genuineness  of  his  emotion — at  the 
time  of  writing.  He  had,  moreover,  some  remarkable  facts 
to  communicate.  He  had  met  his  party  on  their  return 
from  Peking  to  Shanghai,  and  after  a  series  of  vain  endeav- 
ors to  share  their  pleasures,  and  a  futile  struggle  to  accom- 
pany them  on  their  journey  through  Southern  Asia,  had 
gathered  together  the  members  of  his  family,  told  them — 
unreservedly,  he  declared  —  the  story  of  the  past  few 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  251 

weeks,  and  proclaimed  his  purpose  to  return  to  Japan 
without  delay,  there  to  fulfill  what  he  knew  was  his  duty, 
and  to  insure  the  happiness  of  his  life.  With  no  little 
pains,  but  yet  with  less  than  he  anticipated,  he  had  ob- 
tained his  mother's  and  his  sister's  assent,  which  was  not, 
indeed,  indispensable,  but  which  would  stand  in  proof  of 
the  honesty  of  his  intentions.  At  this  point,  the  idea 
appeared  to  be  conveyed  that  Mrs.  Milton  and  her  daugh- 
ter were  profoundly  conscious  of  the  sacrifice  about  to  be 
made,  and  had  pressed  entreaty  and  remonstrance  upon 
him,  until  they  found  his  resolution  utterly  immovable. 
This  was  the  weak  passage  in  an  effusion  of  which  the 
greater  part  was  distinguished  by  a  touching  accent  of 
humility. 

In  the  morning  I  found  Miss  Gibson  better  prepared 
than  I  had  hoped,  for  what  she  had  to  hear.  She  listened 
with  all  the  control  she  could  command  while  I  told  her 
the  hour  of  separation  was  very  near  at  hand,  and  found 
some  relief  from  her  anguish  in  my  assurance  that  Yone's 
life  would  end  as  tranquilly  as  it  has  passed,  and  far  more 
painlessly.  We  agreed  that  she  should  herself  decide  upon 
the  question  of  permitting  Milton  to  visit  her,  as  her  com- 
posure was  greater  and  her  judgment,  we  believed,  clearer 
than  our  own.  And  when  we  submitted  it  to  her,  we 
found  that  our  confidence  was  justified. 

"  I  told  you,  Doctor,  that  he  must  never  see  me  again," 
she  said.  "  Yes,  you  remember  that."  But  I  did  not  know 
what  would  happen  so  soon.  It  is  different,  now.  If  you 
are  willing,  he  shall  come." 

After  a  few  words  of  explanation,  Miss  Gibson  started 
for  the  place  where  he  had  said  he  could  be  found.  Imme- 
diately upon  her  departure,  Yone  beckoned  to  me  with  the 
pretty  Japanese  gesture  of  invitation. 

"  Please  sit  beside  me,  Doctor,  and  let  me  hold  your 
hand.  I  am  glad  we  may  be  alone  a  little.  One  thing  I 
wish  to  say  which  Marian,  perhaps,  would  not  understand; 


252  YONE  SANTO: 

but  you,  dear  friend,  understand  everything.  It  is  selfish, 
— oh,  I  can  see  very  selfish  thoughts,  if  I  look  to  the  bot- 
tom of  my  heart, — but  it  shall  be  confessed.  I  must  tell 
you  how  happy  I  am  to  remember  that  you  are  not  young. 
You  do  not  need  to  show  that  this  is  not  right.  I  know, — 
I  know.  I  love  Marian  dearly;  she  has  been  like  a  true 
sister  to  me.  How  beautiful  and  good  !  But  it  is  to  you 
I  owe  everything, — all,  all,  all  the  brightness  the  world  has 
ever  contained  for  me.  I  can  bear  to  wait  for  her;  but  you, 
my  constant  help  and  protection,  the  guardian  of  my  whole 
life,  the  father  of  my  soul, — ah,  I  have  taken  such  pleasure 
in  hoping  we  shall  be  so  little  time  apart.  If  it  is  wrong, 
you  will  forgive  me.  You  always  have  forgiven  Yone's 
faults." 

"  Don't,  Yone, — don't  speak  to  me  like  that.  You  are 
stronger  than  I  am,  now,  my  child.  Think  what  I  am  feel- 
ing and  say  no  more,  dear;  not  just  yet, — not  just  yet." 

She  took  her  hand  from  mine,  and,  as  if  wishing  to  dis- 
pel the  sad  emotions  she  had  awakened,  held  up  the  little 
feeble  fingers  for  my  inspection,  smiling  at  the  recollection 
they  happened  to  suggest. 

"  Do  you  remember  Mrs.  Steele?"  she  said.  "Mrs. 
Steele  would  not  complain  of  these  hands.  How  they  once 
did  vex  her  !  She  would  not  scold  me,  now." 

"  Nor  would  she  ever,  if  she  had  a  woman's 'heart." 

"  Oh,  Doctor,  forgive  me,  but  I  think  you  are  hasty  to 
say  that.  It  was  a  great  trouble  to  her,  my  untidiness;  and 
she  could  not  know  the  reason.  No,  no;  I  should  never 
mind  that.  Only,  when" — 

"Go  on,  Yone." 

"Yes,  there  is  something  else.  When  we  were  all  three 
together,  at  Miyanoshita, — oh,  those  glad  days  ! — I  was 
never  so  happy,  and  my  thoughts  went  out  joyfully  to 
everybody  I  had  ever  known.  I  wanted  to  tell  them  all  of 
my  good  fortune,  my  pleasure,  how  grateful  I  was.  I  wrote 
a  letter  to  Mrs.  Steele.  I  thought  she  would  not  be  unwill- 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  253 

ing  to  hear  about  the  brightness  that  had  come,  as  she 
knew  something  of  my  sorrows.  I  thought  so,  but " — 

"  She  did  not  answer  ? " 

"  No." 

"Perhaps  she  never  received  the  letter,  Yone." 

"She  received  it,  Doctor." 

"  Do  not  be  too  sure;  I  will  make  inquiry." 

"That  is  not  necessary;  she  sent  it  back  to  me." 

"  My  poor  patient  darling.  Why  in  God's  name  do  all 
the  women  who  come  here  leave  charity  and  humanity 
behind  them?" 

"  Not  all,  Doctor, — not  all.  I  have  Marian,  and  for  her 
dear  sake  I  will  think  no  evil  thing  of  any  of  them.  You 
will  tell  Mrs.  Steele,  some  day,  when  it  is  right  to  do  so, — 
when  she  knows  all  the  truth, — that  Yone  sent  her  a  fare- 
well message  through  you,  and  " — 

"  Forgave  her? " 

"  Yes,  if  that  word  is  not  amiss,  to  my  teacher  and  my 
elder." 

Again  she  clasped  my  hand,  and  we  remained  in  silence 
until  the  faithful  messenger  reappeared. 

"  He  will  be  here,"  she  told  us,  "very  soon;  but  if  he 
gets  a  warning,  at  the  door,  that  he  is  too  early,  he  will  go 
away,  and  return  after  another  hour." 

"  He  must  not  wait  too  long,"  said  Yone,  placidly,  "if  he 
wishes  me  to  see  him." 

"Dear  Yone,"  entreated  Marian,  "you  cut  me  to  the 
heart.  Do  not  grieve  us  so." 

"  But  we  are  not  to  deceive  ourselves  in  what  we  think 
or  what  we  say.  Let  us  look  at  what  is  coming  without 
fear.  Tell  me,  Marian,  where  has  he  been  since  I  last  saw 
him  ?" 

"  Mr.  Milton  ?  He  has  been  in  China  and  Siam.  He 
came  back  on  your  account  only." 

"  Does  he  know  how  ill  I  am  ?" 

"  I  have  told  him — all" 


254  YONE  SANTO: 

"Yes,  "sighed  Yone;  "yes,  that  is  best.  It  will  spare 
him  pain." 

"  But — what  can  I  say  ?  He  will  not  believe  me.  He 
passes  it  all  by  as  mere  exaggeration  or  illusion.  Would  to 
God  he  were  right  !  I  hope  he  is  right.  Oh,  I  hope,  I 
hope " — 

The  tender-hearted  girl  burst  into  tears,  and  her  speech 
became  broken  and  incoherent. 

"  It  gives  me  great  joy  to  know  how  much  you  love  me," 
said  Yone.  "  That  was  the  last  blessing  I  could  wish  for; 
and  it  came,  dear  Marian,  when  I  did  deeply  need  it.  Now 
I  shall  tell  you  all  the  truth.  You  know  what  my  doctor 
has  done  for  me  ever  since  I  was  a  little,  foolish,  ignorant 
child:  He  alone  is  nearer  to  me  than  you,  my  dear,  and 
for  a  while  he  must  be;  but  early  in  the  millions  of  happy 
years  of  our  next  companionship,  our  affection  will  become 
quite  the  same.  Yone  will  have  no  cause  to  seem  unkind 
in  speaking  of  earthly  preferences." 

"You  are  never  unkind,"  Miss  Gibson  declared;  "but  is 
that  the  belief  of  your  people  ? " 

"  That  is  what  we  learn  for  truth,"  answered  Yone. 

"  I  did  not  k'now  it,"  said  the  older  girl.  "  And  do  you 
think, — forgive  me,  Yone, — do  you  think  that  in  time  your 
good-will  may  extend  to  all  you  have  ever  met — even  those 
who  have  not  cared  for  you, — even  such  as — those  ladies  of 
the  school  ?  " 

"  Oh,   surely  so  !  "    replied    Yone;    "  how  can  you  ask 


me 


"  I  will  ask  no  more,  dear  love;  your  answers  shame 
me." 

Soon  after,  the  dying  girl  requested  me  to  move  her  bed 
near  the  centre  of  the  room,  so  that  one  of  us,  her  friends, 
might  be  on  either  side  of  her.  As  we  sat  thus  upon  the 
edges  of  the  cot,  she  passed  an  arm  around  each,  letting 
her  thin,  worn  hands  rest  upon  our  shoulders,  and  raising 
herself  by  this  means  to  a  higher  position. 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  255 

"  Now  I  am  comfortable,"  she  said.  "  Doctor,  let  my 
left  hand  hold  your  right;  and,  Marian,  my  right  shall  clasp 
your  left." 

Her  pulse  was  feeble,  though  not  alarmingly  so;  and  I 
should  have  derived  some  satisfaction  from  her  slight 
ability  to  exert  herself,  but  that  she  remarked,  a  soft  flush 
rising  to  her  cheeks: — 

"  This  is  a  great  liberty  for  a  Japanese  girl;  but  for  once 
you  will  not  mind  it.  ...  Yet  you  are  not  to  forget 
it,"  she  added,  smiling  gently  at  us  in  turn. 


XXXIV. 

FAREWELL. 

A  SERVANT  appeared,  with  the  announcement  that  Mr. 
Milton  was  asking  for  me  below.  I  was  about  to  disen- 
gage myself,  when  Yone  interposed,  saying: — 

"  No,  do  not  go;  do  not  leave  me,  either  of  you.  I  am  best 
in  this  way.  Lifted  upright,  as  I  am,  I  speak  more  easily." 

"•'  Are  you  well  enough  to  speak  at  all  ?  "  I  asked.  "  Do 
not  attempt  too  much." 

But  Miss  Gibson  had  given  orders 'that  the  visitor  be 
brought  to  us,  and  Yone  said  softly: — 

"  I  wish  to  see  him.     I  need  to  see  him  now." 

I  doubt,  nevertheless,  if  she  could  have  been  in  any  de- 
gree prepared  for  the  agitating  incidents  which  ensued. 
We  heard  his  footsteps  rapidly  approaching,  then  saw  his 
well-remembered  form  and  face  framed  for  an  instant  in 
the  doorway.  For  an  instant,  only,  he  stood  motionless. 
Then  he  tottered,  caught  vainly  at  the  lintel  above,  with 
an  outstretched  arm,  staggered  blindly  forward,  and  fell, 
with  a  sharp  cry,  by  the  side  of  the  bed.  where  he  remained 
kneeling,  his  head  clutched  within  his  hands,  and  crouch- 
ing, half  hidden,  close  to  the  body  of  the  girl  from  whose 
life  he  had  driven  peace  and  happiness. 


256  YONE  SANTO  : 

"  My  God,  O  my  God,  what  is  this  ?  "  he  presently  cried. 
"  What  does  it  mean  ?  What  have  you  done  to  her  ? 
Yone,  for  merciful  Heaven's  sake,  speak  to  me  !  I  don't 
dare  to  look  at  you,  but  give  me  a  word, — just  one  word. 
Or  you,  Doctor  Charwell, — are  you  here  ?  For  God's  sake, 
tell  me  this  is  not  the  end." 

There  was  a  briei  interval,  and  then  Yone's  sweet  and 
plaintive  voice  was  heard. 

"  It  is  not  the  end,  Arthur,"  she  said,  "  and  I  am  more 
glad  than  I  can  tell,  that  you  are  here  in  time.  I  wonder 
that  I  am  so  glad.  I  thought  I  could  have  died  without 
much  grief  if  you  had  not  come;  but  now  I  see  how  little  I 
knew  myself." 

"  Why  does  she  talk  of  dying  ? "  exclaimed  Milton, 
partly  raising  his  face,  and  giving  a  sidelong  glance  at  me, 
but  still  averting  his  eyes  from  the  wasted  form  beside  him. 
"  She  shall  live  a  life  of  such  happiness  as  a  man's  best 
affection  can  give  her.  I  am  here  with  my  hand  and  my 
name  for  her  acceptance.  Santo  will  consent  to  an  honor- 
able divorce,  and  Yone  will  have  all  the  devotion  that  a 
true  lover  and  an  honest  husband  can  bestow.  Oh,  Yone, 
don't  speak  of  leaving  me,  my  treasure;  don't  think  of  it. 
Come  to  me  as  I  have  come  to  you." 

Yone  had  started  when  he  spoke  of  the  divorce,  for  the 
scheme  had  never  been  revealed  to  her;  but  his  meaning 
was  plain  before  he  had  finished. 

"  Then  you  did  come  to  marry  me,"  she  said  simply. 

"I  do,  I  do  !  "  he  cried.  "You  shall  soon  see.  My 
mother  and  my  sister  wish  it,  too,  Yone.  They  have  sent 
their  love  to  you,  and  many  messages  of  kindness.  As 
soon  as  you  are  better  you  shall  learn  everything." 

"Arthur,"  she  said  gravely,  "  look  in  my  face." 

With  slow  and  reluctant  movements,  as  if  afraid  to  con- 
front again  the  sight  which  met  him  when  he  entered,  he 
turned  his  eyes  upward,  and  fixed  them  upon  the  features 
he  had  hitherto  seen  only  in  health  and  loveliness,  but 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  257 

which  now  revealed  the  fatal  signs  of  a  hopeless  disease. 
Stricken  speechless,  he  gazed  upon  the  face  which  had  once 
been  lighted  by  a  rare  and  noble  attachment, — an  attach- 
ment called  into  existence  by  him,  but  upon  which  he  had 
trampled  with  the  recklessness  of  a  blind  and  unmanly 
egotism.  And  as  she  returned  his  gaze,  there  came  back 
before  our  amazed  view  a  strange  and  chastened  reflection 
of  the  purity,  the  modest  grace  and  tender  delicacy,  which 
had  made  all  other  youthful  charms  appear  dim  and  dull 
beside  those  of  Yone  Yamada.  At  the  summons  of  the 
only  absorbing  love  she  had  ever  known,  the  fairness  of 
her  brighter  days  revived  and  clothed  her  again  with  the 
unforgotten  beauty. 

"  I  see  nothing  to  disturb  me,"  he  faltered.  "  You  have 
been  ill,  very  ill,  I  fear;  but  Doctor  Charwell — who  has 
been  my  best  friend  when  I  least  thought  him  so — will  soon 
restore  you  to  us.  Heaven  only  knows  what  I  shall  owe 
him  then  !  " 

It  was  a  marvel,  the  power  of  this  creature  of  impulse 
over  our  senses,  when  our  judgment  still  refused  to  con- 
done his  baseness.  As  he  knelt  before  us  all,  with  a  glow, 
hardly  less  fervent  than  Yone's  transient  flush,  beaming 
from  his  eyes,  and  with  his  whole  aspect  betraying  the 
most  eager  and  intense  solicitude,  it  seemed  cruel  to  doubt 
that  he  realized,  at  last,  the  force  of  .his  former  iniquity. 
In  any  case,  this  was  not  the  time  for  suggesting  doubts, 
and  we — Miss  Gibson  and  I — were  grateful  for  even  the 
briefest  term  of  happiness  which  Yone  could  enjoy.  As  I 
caught  Marian's  interrogating  glance,  I  almost  allowed  my- 
self to  disregard  the  sorrowful  testimony  of  experience,  and 
to  imagine  the  possibility  that  the  newly  kindled  joy  might 
inspire  with  fresh  vitality  that  fragile  and  exhausted  frame. 
Alas,  it  was  but  a  passing  fancy,  unsustained  by  any  reality 
of  hope. 

4<Come  nearer  to  me,  Arthur,"  said  the  fading  girl;  and 
as  he  moved  forward,  still  kneeling,  she  disengaged  her  hand 
from  my  shoulder,  and  laid  it  upon  his  head, 


258  YONE  SANTO 

"  Regard  him  now,  Doctor,"  she  continued,  appealingly; 
"he  never  thought  to  harm  me.  Marian,  he  meant  no 
wrong.  He  did  not  know.  I  am  sure  he  did  not  know." 

"  Yone,  you  crush  me  with  your  goodness,"  he  answered, 
in  half-stifled  tones.  "I  did  think  to  harm  you.  I  did 
mean  wrong.  I  cannot  keep  the  truth  from  you.  But  now 
all  is  changed.  All  shall  be  well,  my  poor,  wounded  dove. 
I  know  how  to  love  you  as  you  deserve,  now;  they  shall  all 
witness  it.  I  think  of  nothing  but  to  make  you  my  wife,  if 
— if  only  you  will  forgive  me." 

"  Forgive  you  !  "  she  responded,  in  a  tone  which,  gentle 
as  it  was,  thrilled  through  us  all.  "  Forgive  you  ? — Oh, 
Arthur  !  But  I  think  my  two  best  friends,  here,  may  not 
understand  you  as  well  as  I  do.  This  is  what  they  will 
both  do  to  please  me.  Doctor,  you  will  forgive  all  his  mis- 
takes. Marian,  you  too,  for  my  sake." 

"I  do  not  know  Miss  Gibson,"  murmured  Milton,  "and 
Doctor  Charwell  does  not  know  me — as  E  am  now.  But  if 
they  will  wait  " — 

"  Oh,  no,"  said  Yone;  "there  is  no  need  to  wait.  They 
will  refuse  me  nothing.  But  I  wish  them  to  feel  that  you 
— that  you  deserve  it.  Therefore,  in  the  days  to  come, 
when  I  can  no  longer  speak  for  you,  dear  Arthur,  let  your 
actions,  I  pray  you,  always  be  such  as  to  keep  their  friend- 
ship with  you  true  and  sacred." 

He  looked  at  us  with  a  bewildered  air,  and  again  turned 
to  Yone. 

"  Do  not  misunderstand  me,  Yone.  I  am  sure  you  mis- 
understand me,  for  you  could  not  be  willingly  unkind.  I 
ask  that  we  may  never  be  separated.  I  shall  always  be 
near  you  till  you  are  well,  and  from  that  time  we  shall  con- 
stantly be  together." 

"  Arthur,  it  is  you  who  will  not  understand.  Are  you 
alone  unable  to  see  what  all  the  rest  can  see  ?  Speak  tome 
no  more  like  that,  and  remember  that  for  me  the  time  of 
sorrow  is  past.  You  cannot  know  the  happiness  I  feel,  ex- 
cept only  for  the  grief  I  must  soon  give  to  you  around  me. 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN,  259 

And  now — but  you  will  wait  for  me  a  little;  I  am  fatigued. 
Marian,  dear,  please  raise  me  again." 

She  was  moved,  as  she  desired,  and  as  her  lips  were  dry, 
I  moistened  them  with  a  cooling  cordial.  She  thanked  us, 
and  closed  her  eyes  wearily,  still  keeping  her  hand  on 
Milton's  head. 

"  If  this  is  real,"  he  muttered  huskily,  "what  is  left  for 
me  !  Must  I  wait  for  God's  just  vengeance,  or  will  it  strike 
me  here  and  now  ?  " 

Yone  heard,  but  did  not  comprehend.  She  opened  her 
eyes,  looked  at  us  intently  for  a  space,  and  then,  more 
faintly  than  ever  before,  said,  with  an  effort  that  could  not 
be  concealed: — 

"  Now  I  shall  ask  you  each  to  place  your  right  hand 
upon  my  breast,  as  I  lie  here.  I  wish  to  fold  mine  over 
them.  It  is  only  for  a  little  time." 

We  did  as  she  requested,  and  as  she  laid  her  slender 
hands  upon  ours,  and  pressed  them  near  her  heart,  she 
added,  with  a  smile  of  infinite  tenderness: — 

"  This  is  my  utmost  power.  It  is  all  I  have,  and  I  give 
it  to  you  to  show  the  strength  of  my  love  for  you." 

Again  the  eyelids  fell,  and  all  was  silence." 

As  we  stood  -motionless,  fearing,  indeed,  to  stir,  nor  dar- 
ing to  look  at  one  another,  a  curious  sound  came  through 
the  hall-way,  as  of  heavy  bodies  moved  or  moving  stealthily. 
We  felt  that  the  shock  of  a  rude  intrusion  would  be  un- 
bearable, yet  none  of  us  could  stir  to  close  the  door. 

Presently  we  heard  rough  whispering,  yet  still  we  were 
incapable  of  breaking  that  solemn  circle. 

The  voices  drew  nearer.  One  of  them,  at  least,  could 
be  recognized.  Speaking  in  Japanese,  that  memorable 
"  reclaimer,"  Miss  Jackman,  delivered  herself  thus,  in  an 
undertone,  though  apparently  with  little  intention  of  con- 
cealment:— 

"That  is  the  door.  Go  in  there:  you  will  see  what  I 
have  brought  you  for." 


. 
260  YONE  SANTO 

The  next  instant  we  heard  her  retreating  footsteps,  while 
Santo,  the  boat-builder,  entered  the  chamber. 

"What  does  it  mean  ?"  he  asked.  "  The  big  woman — 
why,  she  is  gone,  now — she  came  to  my  place,  with  round 
eyes  and  a  green  face,  and  dragged  me  hither  in  a  jin- 
riki-sha.  She  had  two  jin-riki-shas  ready,  waiting  for  us. 
She  told  me  to  be  calm,  and  to  be  merciful,  and  to  shed  no 
blood.  Why  should  I  not  be  calm,  and  merciful;  and  why 
should  I  shed  blood  ?  Ah,  ha  !  Is  she  crazy,  more  or  less,  that 
big  one  ?  Now  here  is  nobody  but  the  doctor,  and  the  teacher- 
miss,  and  the  young  American  buyer  of  boats.  Yes,  she 
told  me  he  was  here,  very  softly,  making  such  awful  faces 
as  you  never  saw.  Ha,  ha !  To  be  sure,  she  is  crazy, — 
all  crazy,  every  pound  of  her.  And  there  is  my  Yone. 
Will  it  do  me  no  harm  to  go  near  her  ?  You  think  not  ? 
Well,  cholera  is  a  thing  to  keep  away  from,  generally.  How 
is  she  now,  Doctor?" 

Then  noticing  that  we  kept  our  heads  averted,  he  drew 
nearer,  and  peered  inquisitively  at  us.  At  the  same  mo- 
ment, Yone's  thin,  attenuated  hands  relaxed  their  grasp 
and  fell  to  her  sides.  Milton  dropped  to  his  knees  again, 
and  hid  his  face  from  sight.  Marian  threw  her  arms  about 
the  frail  figure,  trembling  violently,  though  with  slight  audi- 
ble demonstration  of  grief.  I  turned  to  the  husband,  who 
had  been  brought  with  such  malicious  design,  and  whose 
advent  had  been  so  strangely  timed. 

"What!  is  she,  then,  dead?"  he  inquired,  subduing  his 
harsh  voice,  and  staring  with  astonishment  at  the  unex- 
pected sight  before  him. 

I  made  an  affirmative  gesture. 

"  But  this  is  stranger  than  anything  in  the  world.  Why 
are  they  crying  ?  You,  too, — I  see  you  are  crying.  Is  it 
because  she  is  dead  ? " 

"It  is." 

"  Well,  I  cannot  understand  it.  I  should  never  think  of 
crying.  I  may  *cry  at  the  theatre,  or  when  I  listen  to  the 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN,  261 

hanashi-ka,  but  not  in  my  own  house.  Is  it  a  custom  of 
foreigners  ? " 

"  Not  always.  But  we  respected  and  admired  Yonevery 
much,  and  loved  her  dearly." 

"  What,  that  poor  little  doll  ? " 

"  She  was  a  good  woman,  Santo, — the  best  woman  I  have 
known  in  all  my  life." 

"  I  never  knew  that,  Doctor-san, — never  thought  of  such 
thing.  Are  you  sure  of  it  ? " 

"  Quite  sure." 

"  Because  that  other,  the  big  woman,  tried  to  say —  Oh, 
but  she  is  crazy  from  head  to  foot." 

"  Entirely  so.  And  now,  Santo  Yorikichi,  if  you  will 
excuse  me,  we  will  not  talk  any  more.  You  shall  stay,  or 
go;  but  you  must  allow  us  to  be  quiet." 

"  Yes,  I  will  go.  I  have  no  idea  of  foreign  customs. 
To  think  that  my  poor  Yone  was  so  good  a  woman  !  And 
I  never  suspected  it.  It  is  a  pity  I  did  not  learn  it  earlier. 
I  will  go, — I  will  go.  To-morrow  we  will  make  some 
arrangement  about  the  burial.  Good-day  to  everybody. 
Farewell,  Yone;  I  shall  tell  our  neighbors  how  good  a 
woman  you  were.  I  wish  I  had  known  that  before." 

He  went  out,  with  an  evident  desire  to  maintain  a  decor- 
ous bearing,  but  obviously  more  startled  and  bewildered 
than  touched  by  grief,  and,  I  made  no  doubt,  calculating  in 
his  mind  the  probable  cost  of  the  ceremonies  which  he 
would  be  called  upon  to  pay  for.  His  anxieties  on  this 
latter  question  were,  indeed,  turned  to  our  advantage;  for 
we  found  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  his  consent  that  the  in- 
terment should  take  place  at  Tenno-ji,  a  tranquil  and  not 
too  sombre  burial-ground,  partly  appropriated  to  aliens, 
where  we  were  able  to  procure  a  tomb  in  one  of  the  most 
silent  and  secluded  corners.  There,  at  last,  this  long- 
suffering  white-souled  little  pagan  saint  found  rest. 


262  YONE  SANTO: 


XXXV. 

REST    AND    SILENCE. 

WE  WERE  sitting,  Marian  Gibson  and  I,  beside  Yone's 
grave,  one  afternoon,  some  weeks  after  the  sepulture, 
when  we  saw  approaching  a  species  of  irregular  pro- 
cession, in  the  centre  of  which  we  detected  the  mon- 
olithic figures  of  the  Misses  Philipson.  Our  familiarity 
with  the  neighborhood  enabled  us  to  retire  unobserved, 
and  take  shelter  behind  a  cluster  of  willows,  which,  while 
concealing  us,  left  the  new-comers  open  to  our  inspection. 
Their  object  in  visiting  the  spot  we  could  not  at  first 
divine,  being  confident  that  the  sisters,  at  least,  had  no  pre- 
cise knowledge  as  to  Yone's  modest  tomb;  but  we  soon 
discovered  that  they  were  escorting  a  party  of  excursionists 
through  the  noted  localities  of  Tokio,  and  had  crossed  over 
from  the  Park  of  Uyeno,  hard  by,  to  this  sequestered 
retreat.  Four  or  five  of  their  most  advanced  pupils  were 
with  them,  brought  out,  no  doubt,  to  serve  as  guides  and 
interpreters.  As  they  drew  near  to  Yone's  little  inclosure, 
these  young  girls  detached  themselves  from  the  others, 
walked  rapidly  forward,  and,  falling  on  their  knees 
before  the  gate,  devoltly  inclined  their  bodies  until  their 
foreheads  touched  the  green  sods.  The  astonishment  with 
which  the  Philipsons  regarded  this  proceeding  proved  to 
us  that  a  revelation  was  awaiting  them.  First  of  all,  how- 
ever, a  note  of  objurgation  was  sounded  by  the  younger  "of 
the  twain. 

"  Whatever  does  this  mean,  girls,  getting  on  your  knees 
in  all  this  dust  and  mud  ?  Explain  yourself,  Tama  Yasuda. 
Come  here,  all  of  you,  don't  stay  sprawling  there  when  I 
call  you." 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  263 

"  Be  moderate  with  them,  Kezia,  I  beseech  you,"  said 
the  elder,  not  disinclined  to  pose  before  the  visitors  in  the 
character  of  a  merciful  intercessor,  and  at  the  same  time  to 
impart  an  erudite  interest  to  the  occasion.  "  These  poor 
children  are  all  familiar  with  the  ancient  shrines,"  she  con- 
tinued, "  even  when  the  landmarks  are  set  aside,  as  in  this 
neighborhood.  Now  I  dare  say  that  if  we  listen  to  them, 
they  can  tell  us  an  impressive  story  of  fortitude  and  hero- 
ism, or  patient  suffering,  connected  with  this  very  spot. 
That,  no  doubt,  is  the  explanation  of  the  reverent  prostra- 
tion we  have  just  witnessed." 

By  this  time  the  younger  Miss  P.  had  drawn  the  facts 
from  her  scholars,  and  was  advancing  toward  her  senior, 
endeavoring,  by  facial  contortions  of  the  most  extravagant 
description,  to  arrest  the  latter's  flow  of  historical  eloquence. 

"  What  is  it,  sister  ?  "  was  the  gracious  inquiry.  "  What 
is  the  object  of  veneration  associated  with  this  scene  of 
classic  beauty  ?  " 

A  rapid  whisper  followed. 

"  Indeed  !  "  said  Miss  P.  No.  i,  with  portentous  dignity. 
"  You  girls,  you  five,  will  report  yourselves  for  punishment 
to-morrow,  before  breakfast.  Such  disgusting  slovenliness  ! 
Such  heartless  disregard  of  the  unhealed  scars  of  our  in- 
nermost wounds !  " 

Here  some  of  the  travelers,  whose  curiosity  was  excited 
by  the  sudden  transition  from  benignant  complacency  to 
vengeful  ire,  made  bold  to  ask  for  an  elucidation;  where- 
upon the  too  precipitate  superior  of  the  academy  found  it 
necessary  to  take  in  sail,  and  tack,  and  perform  other 
manoeuvres  to  which  her  skill  and  cleverness  were  not 
wholly  adequate. 

"  The  truth  is  simply  this,"  she  said,  trembling  with  in- 
dignation and  a  fear  that  she  might,  in  her  confusion,  mix 
herself  up  more  ridiculously  than  was  appropriate  to  a  re- 
sponsible elderly  female, — "simply  this:  that  these  forward 
minxes  seem  to  have  engaged  in  a  conspiracy  to  mortify  us. 


264  YONE  SANTO: 

I  now  learn  for  the  first  time  that  this  is  the  grave  of  a  young 
woman,  a  Japanese,  in  whom  we  took  a  great  interest  both 
before  and  after  her  marriage,  but  who  ill  repaid  our  watchful 
care.  She  was  respectable  enough  while  under  our  eyes, 
but  she  afterward  got  completely  corrupted  by  contact  with 
a  young  American;  and  as  she  showed  no  shame,  and 
would  not  repent,  keeping  up  the  improper  connection  to 
the  day  of  her  death,  we  believe,  we  were  obliged,  of 
course,  to  throw  her  off.  She  was  a  sort  of  leader  among 
a  certain  set  of  native  girls,  and,  as  you  have  seen  to-day, 
their  obstinacy  is  incorrigible.  There  is  no  accounting  for 
it,  except  by  remembering,  as  we  are  constantly  compelled 
to  do,  that  we  are  in  Japan." 

We  were  listening,  of  necessity,  to  the  chorus  of  asinine 
acquiescence  which  arose  as  the  party  passed  on, — the  silly 
echoes  of  "  Quite  so,"  "  To  be  sure,"  "  How  truly  dread- 
ful," "  So  sad," — when  Marian  uttered  an  exclamation  of 
alarm,  and,  darting  from  me  down  a  steep  side  path,  suc- 
ceeded in  arresting  the  onward  progress  of  a  young  man 
who  was  marching  with  great  strides  in  pursuit  of  the 
retiring  body. 

"  Let  me  go,"  he  said.  "  There  may  be  a  man  or  two 
among  them,  to  learn  what  it  is  to  desecrate  a  grave." 

"  You  shall  not  go  !  "  exclaimed  Marian.  "  Would  you 
cast  a  blot  upon  Yone's  perfect  memory  ?  Come  with  me; 
come  with  us.  You  surely  did  not  see  the  whole.  The  be- 
ginning would  have  reconciled  you  to  the  end." 

"  The  brutes — the  devilish  hags  !  "  he  cried  passion- 
ately. 

"  Milton,"  said  I,  having  now  made  my  way  down  to  the 
level  where  he  stood,  "  it  was  as  hard  for  me  as  for 
you,  but  I  had  to  bear  it.  Reflect  seriously;  shall  the  poor 
girl's  peace  be  broken,  and  by  you,  in  this  her  only  place  of 
repose  ? " 

"  You  are  right,"  he  answered;  "  and  perhaps  I  ought  not 
to  be  here  when  foreigners  are  likely  to  come;  but  it  is  not 
easy  to  keep  away  " 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  265 

"We  have  not  seen  you  since  the  burial,"  said  I;  "where 
have  you  been?  " 

"  I  have  found,"  he  replied,  after  some  hesitation,  "  a 
little  house  in  the  priests'  quarters,  close  by.  It  is  very 
comfortable,  and  the  people  are  very  nice.  Will  you  come 
and  see?" 

He  led  us  to  one  of  the  daintiest  cottages  imaginable, 
built  originally  in  the  quaint  old  native  style,  but  variously 
modified  and  adapted  for  foreign  occupation.  Observing 
that  our  attention  was  attracted  by  the  evidences  of  care 
and  expense  which  had  been  bestowed  upon  it,  he  re- 
marked:— 

"  It  was  hardly  habitable  when  I  first  came,  and  as  I  mean 
to  remain,  I  had  to  put  it  in  order." 

Marian  looked  at  him  with  innocent  and  admiring  won- 
der. I  saw  no  occasion  for  pursuing  a  conversation  on  the 
line  suggested,  and  we  presently  left  him  to  his  unrestful 
solitude. 

The  day  was  not  far  spent,  and  we  directed  our  steps 
toward  Yone's  recent  dwelling,  upon  the  opposite  bank  of 
the  river.  Santo  received  us  at  the  gate,  as  he  had  met 
us  on  Miss  Gibson's  first  arrival,  a  few  months  before,  and 
silently  guided  us  to  the  chamber  in  which  we  had  found 
the  invalid  of  whom  we  were  then  in  search.  He  threw 
aside  the  door,  and  we  saw,  to  our  surprise,  that  the  con- 
tents were  precisely  as  they  had  been  left  by  the  former 
occupant  of  the  little  apartment.  Nothing  had  been 
removed,  and  the  arrangement  of  the  simple  furniture 
appeared  in  all  respects  unchanged. 

"  Will  you  go  in  ?  "  he  said.  "  You  see  everything  is  the 
same.  I  have  been  thinking  a  little;  perhaps  she  will  be 
pleased  to  have  it  so." 

"You  are  very  good,  Santo  Yorikichi;  we  thank  you 
sincerely." 

"  It  is  a  small  matter,"  he  answered  quickly,  in  a  tone 
which  seemed  to  protest  against  the  imputation  of  undue 


266  YONE  SANTO: 

sensibility.  "  The  house  is  spacious,  there  is  plenty  of 
room,  it  gives  no  trouble,  and  it  costs  nothing." 

Observing  that  he  remained  in  the  passage,  I  asked  him 
to  come  nearer  to  us. 

"  No,  no,"  he  objected;  "  I  never  go  there.  The  servants 
do  everything,  very  carefully.  It  is  their  duty,  but  I  never 
go  in." 

"Since  you  are  kind  enough  to  let  us  enter,"  said  Miss 
Gibson,  "I  hope  you  will  join  us." 

I  translated  her  remark,  but  without  immediate  effect. 

"Ah,  it  is  different  for  you,"  he  replied.  "  You  under- 
stood,— I  never  did.  You  did  not  tell  me  about  her.  No, 
I  shall  wait  here." 

"  Beg  him  to  come,  this  once,  Doctor." 

I  told  him  that  we  both  earnestly  wished  it,  and  then  he 
yielded. 

"Do  you  think  I  might?  Would  she  like  it?  Truly,  you 
ought  to  know.  Well,  I  will  do  as  you  bid.  The  room  be- 
longs to  her,  and  you  are  her  friends.  If  you  say  it  is 
right,  I  will  come.  Indeed,  I  do  not  keep  myself  apart 
from  her  always.  I  go  to  her  tablet  every  day.  Presently 
you  shall  see  the  tablet.  I  hope  you  will  be  content  with 
the  name  that  the  priests  have  chosen.  To  find  the  best 
name  is  not  an  easy  thing,  they  all  say.  It  is  a  sorrow, 
Doctor-san,  that  no  one  told  me  she  was  so  good,  while  she 
was  alive.  It  is  a  great  sorrow,  but  I  have  often  thought 
about  it,  since  she  died." 

He  walked  to  the  little  bed  on  which  she  had  lain,  and  knelt 
beside  it,  inclining  his  head  as  if  in  meditation.  Miss  Gib- 
son was  much  moved.  Approaching  him,  and  resting  her 
hand  upon  his  shoulder,  she  said:— 

"  If  you  know  it  now,  Santo-san,  that  is  enough  for  you, 
and  for  her." 

Without  responding,  or  appearing  to  be  aware  of  her 
touch,  he  raised  himself  slowly,  and  began  to  recite  the 
opening  line  of  a  song  which  we  recognized  as  one  that 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  267 

Yone  had  been  used  to  sing.  After  a  few  unsteady  sylla- 
bles, his  voice  fell  hoarsely  to  a  dull,  unmeaning  sound. 
He  flung  out  his  right  arm,  as  if  to  thrust  away  the  unusual 
emotion  which  oppressed  him,  and  endeavored,  almost 
fiercely,  to  continue  the  familiar  verse.  Again  his  utterance 
was  suddenly  broken,  and  his  heavy  frame  was  shaken  by 
three  or  four  harsh,  grating,  gasping  sobs.  Then,  dashing 
his  hand  across  his  forehead,  he  turned  and  ran  headlong 
from  the  room,  while  we  stood  in  shocked  amazement  at 
the  unexpected,  and  to  me  inexplicable,  outburst.  A 
moment  later  we  heard  him  in  the  boatyard,  furiously 
berating  the  workmen  for  some  hastily  imagined  offense. 

"Let  us  go,"  said  Miss  Gibson;  "he  cannot  bear  to 
meet  us  after  this.  He  will  think  he  ought  to  be  ashamed 
of  his  weakness,  the  dear,  rough,  honest  soul." 

"  But  he  wished  to  show  us  Yone's  ihai  "  (posthumous 
tablet),  I  suggested. 

"  Not  now;  we  will  come  another  time.  You  do  not 
quite  understand  him,  Doctor;  Yone  and  I  noticed  that,  not 
long  ago,  on  this  very  spot.  No,  let  us  go  at  once,  with- 
out speaking  to  him  again." 

As  we  made  our  way  off  the  premises,  we  were  obliged  to 
pass  near  him,  but  he  avoided  us,  pretending  to  gaze  in 
another  direction,  and  filling  the  air  with  fresh  and  more 
vehement  vituperations  of  his  astonished  laborers. 

"  How  he  scolds,  God  bless  him  !  "  exclaimed  my  com- 
panion, with  what  I  chose  to  pronounce  the  purest  feminine 
inconsequence.  But  I  was  fain  to  admit  that  his  scolding 
was  more  satisfactory  to  my  ear  than  Mr.  Milton's  protes- 
tations of  eternal  constancy  had  been. 

"  Yet  Mr.  Milton  declares  that  he  means  to  remain  in 
perpetual  seclusion  at  Uyeno,"  said  Miss  Gibson,  in  a  some- 
what awe-stricken  tone,  as  we  walked  toward  Tsukiji. 
"Will  he  really  never  leave  that  place  ?" 

"'Never'  is  a  terribly  long  word,"  I  replied. 

"But. to  think  that  he  should  give  up  even  the  years  of 
his  youth  so  devotedly  !  " 


268  YGNE  SANTO: 

"  My  child,  he  will  not  give  up  the  years  of  his  youth, 
nor  yet  a  single  year.  Pray  make  no  mistake  about  that." 

"  Doctor,  you  think  him  utterly  incapable  of  truthfulness 
or  good  feeling.  You  are  too  hard  upon  him." 

"Oh,  no;  I  think  he  is  a  better  man  than  he  was, 
and  that  his  experience  in  Japan  has  done  him  good. 
Whether  the  result  was  worth  the  sacrifice  of  such  a  life 
as  Yone's  I  shall  not  say.  But  certainly  it  would  do  him 
no  additional  good  to  stay  where  he  now  is,  even  for  a  little 
while." 

"He  said  he  should." 

"  And  he  thinks  so,  undoubtedly,  for  the  moment.  But 
the  fact  that  he  is  fitting  up  the  little  cottage  so  luxuriously 
— that  alone  shows  he  is  not  in  the  ascetic  frame  of  mind 
suitable  for  a  long  term  of  isolation.  No,  indeed;  we  shall 
soon  see  the  last  of  him, — or,  rather,  I  shall.  You  will 
meet  him  in  another  season  or  so,  as  you  go  your  social 
ways  in  Boston." 

"Then  I  am  to  be  driven  out  of  Japan,  also:  is  that  your 
determination,  Doctor  ? " 

"There  is  not  much  to  keep  you  here,  Marian,"  said  I. 
"At  your  age  you  can  do  nothing  alone,  and  you  have 
not  the  experience  nor  the  patience  to  ally  yourself  with 
young  women  of  Yone's  stamp,  even  if  you  were  sure  of 
finding  them.  Yet  I  know  you  will  never  forget  your  little 
friend,  and,  far  away  in  the  future,  when  you  have  learned 
more  of  the  world's  lessons,  you  may  be  able  to  come  back 
and  give  a  helping  hand  to  those  who  will  then  be  strug- 
gling, as  she  did,  and  falling  by  the  wayside,  as  she  did  not, 
for  want  of  sympathy  and  charity.  But  I  don't  think  it 
very  likely.  The  odds  are  all  against  your  ever  seeing  this 
country  again,  after  you  once  leave  it." 

"Perhaps  so;  who  can  tell?  In  any  event,  Doctor,  as 
you  say,  I  shall  never  forget." 

Nor  do  I  believe  she  has  forgotten,  though  I  have  heard 
but  seldom  from  her  since  she  sailed  away,  a  few  months 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  269 

after  we  had  thus  conversed  together.  Milton  waited  a 
little  longer,  and  was  then  summoned  home  by  that "  neces- 
sary business  "  which  is  the  convenient  pretext  of  the 
habitual  idler.  He  was  fervent,  on  his  departure,  in  pro- 
testing that  he  would  rejoin  me  the  following  summer;  but 
several  summers  have  since  passed,  without  bringing  him. 
Not  long  after  reaching  Boston,  he  wrote  to  ask  me  if  I 
would  take  charge  of  a  fund — a  truly  munificent  amount,  I 
am  bound  to  say — for  the  protection  and  education  of  de- 
serving Japanese  girls;  or,  if  preferable,  for  the  establish- 
ment of  an  academy  in  which  young  women  should  be 
harbored  and  taught,  upon  principles  directly  adverse  to 
certain  false  and  injurious  missionary  methods.  The 
scheme  had  many  tempting  features,  but  no  amount  of  at- 
tractiveness could  induce  me  to  cooperate  in  such  a  project 
with  Arthur  Milton.  By  no  process  so  easy  and  simple  to 
him  could  I  be  led  to  condone  his  crime,  or  to  associate 
any  act  of  his  with  the  memory  of  the  gentle  creature  whose 
existence  he  had  darkened  with  grief  and  desolation. 

In  the  execution  of  a  more  modest  and  unambitious  trust 
confided  to  me,  I  have,  however,  found  a  satisfaction  which 
time  has  never  deadened  or  diminished.  At  the  appropri- 
ate seasons  of  each  year,  packages  of  flower  seeds,  from 
Shizu  Roberts,  in  Scotland,  cross  the  seas,  accompanied  by 
small  sums  of  money,  which  I  am  requested  to  apply  to  the 
embellishment  of  the  inclosure  wherein  the  dearest  object  of 
her  love  and  veneration  lies.  An  occasional  line  from  her 
husband  vouchsafes  the  information  that  nothing  would 
gratify  him  more  than  to  increase  the  humble  contribution 
a  hundred-fold,  "in  honor  of  that  truly  good  woman;"  but 
as  Shizu  has  set  her  heart  upon  maintaining  the  supply 
from  a  little  domestic  fund  which  is  "all  her  own,"  he  can 
not  oppose  a  wish  expressed  with  such  extreme  intensity  of 
feeling. 

The  elder  Miss  Philipson  no  longer  enjoys  the  satisfac- 
tion of  attributing  the  mischances  of  her  declining  years  to 


270  YONE  SANTO: 

the  circumstance  that  she  is  "  in  Japan."  She  was,  in  due 
season,  relieved  from  the  cares  of  school  administration, 
and,  with  her  sister,  returned  to  illuminate  the  coun- 
cils of  credulous  devotees  at  home.  I  have  never  heard 
that  either  of  the  ladies  suffered  in  any  form  for  the  possi- 
ble errors  of  their  Oriental  career.  On  the  contrary,  they 
flourished  socially  and  prospered  materially;  the  time  not 
having  arrived,  in  their  day,  for  the  application  of  such  tests 
as  should  determine  the  trustworthiness  of  those  who  bring 
tidings  from  the  unknown  East.  They  were  greatly  in 
requisition  for  lectures  and  addresses  on  topics  with  which 
their  extensive  experience  was  supposed  to  make  them 
familiar.  For  reasons  satisfactory  to  their  friends,  how- 
ever, they  did  not  pursue  a  common  path.  It  was  deemed 
preferable  that  they  should  separately  shine  as  examples  of 
zealous  and  devoted  service  among  the  heathen.  Keen  ob- 
servers had  remarked  that  when  they  were  brought  to- 
gether upon  the  same  platform,  a  jarring  lack  of  harmony 
was  perceptible  in  the  proceedings.  Thus,  when  Miss 
Sophia  would  relate — "  with  due  reservations,  necessitated 
by  political  exigency,"  as  she  explained — the  circumstances 
under  which  she  had  converted  an  illustrious  personage  to 
Christianity,  sister  Kezia  would  assume  an  expression  of 
countenance  which  could  hardly  be  called  confirmatory  of 
that  interesting  narrative.  And  when  the  younger  lady 
told  how  she  had  once  marshaled  a  host  of  promising 
pupils,  "  daughters  of  the  aristocracy,"  and  marched  them 
into  Yedo  Bay,  to  be  baptized  in  a  body,  sister  Sophia  was 
heard  to  whisper  to  those  around  her  that  the  children  cer- 
tainly underwent  the  immersion  described,  but  did  so  in 
the  conviction  that  they  were  simply  to  be  taught  swimming 
in  foreign  style.  When  privately  questioned  as  to  these 
disagreements,  Miss  Sophia  would  declare,  with  a  compas- 
sionate smile,  that,  notwithstanding  her  admitted  seniority 
of  age,  it  had  been  happily  granted  that  her  memory,  at 
least,  had  never  suffered  from  the  strain  of  mental  exertion 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  271 

to  which  she  had,  for  years,  been  subjected;  and  Miss 
Kezia  would  intimate  that  one  of  her  chief  sources  of  con- 
tent was  the  reflection  that  a  protracted  sojourn  in  a  land 
renowned  for  the  romantic  inventiveness  of  its  people  had 
not  tended  to  an  abnormal  development  of  her  purely  im- 
aginative faculties,  however  it  might  have  affected  others. 
Wherefore,  although  it  was  acknowledged,  by  the  commu- 
nity they  adorned,  that  the  awakening  stimulus  of  their 
recitals  was  too  valuable  to  be  sacrificed,  arrangements 
were  made  by  which  they  might,  for  the  future,  revolve  in 
different  orbits. 

And  Doctor  Charwell  ?  There  has  been  little  enough  in 
his  life  to  interest  any  reader,  during  the  eight  or  nine  years 
since  the  occurrences  hereinbefore  related.  I  dare  say  he 
is  credited  by  his  neighbors  with  an  abundance  of  the  mo- 
rose eccentricity  which  distinguishes  most  foreigners  who 
grow  old  in  the  service  of  an  adopted  country,  and  I  am 
bound  to  admit  that  he  makes  few  exertions  to  secure  a 
more  favorable  verdict,  either  from  aliens  or  from  the 
people  among  whom  he  has  cast  his  lot.  I  may  mention 
that  he  undertook,  last  summer,  not  without  misgivings,  an 
excursion  to  a  certain  popular  watering-place, — a  favorite 
resort  of  his,  a  dozen  years  ago.  But  the  place  had  lost  its 
old  attraction.  The  streams  sparkled  less  brightly;  the 
bloom  of  the  gardens  was  dim;  the  songs  of  the  forest  birds 
and  insects  failed  to  charm  again.  It  was  not  a  successful 
expedition,  and  it  will  never  be  repeated.  I  must  confess 
that,  as  the  days  go  by,  the  doctor  does  little  to  dispel  the 
gloom  which,  as  he  very  well  knows,  is  said  to  be  gather- 
ing mistily  about  him.  He  cares  for  no  companionship, 
except  that  of  an  aged  cat,  which  he  cherishes  with  much 
consideration,  although  the  creature  has  long  outlived  all 
possible  usefulness;  and  he  consorts  with  none  of  his  own 
species,  unless  it  may  be,  upon  odd  occasions,  with  an  un- 
couth and  crusty  old  carpenter,  who  plies  his  trade  of  boat- 
builder  near  Yokoami,  on  the  Sumida  river.  For  the  rest, 


272  YONE  SANTO  : 

his  sole  habit  of  recreation,  if  so  it  can  be  called,  is 
as  lugubrious  as  the  character  attributed  to  him.  At 
frequent  intervals  he  walks  out  to  Uyeno,  the  city's 
gayest  pleasure  park,  not  to  seek  diversion  in  its  noble 
avenues  and  shining  lawns,  but  to  wander  among  the 
graves  of  Tenno-ji,  an  adjoining  cemetery.  One  of  these, 
noted  for  its  constant  adornment  of  flowers  at  all  seasons 
of  the  year,  is  said  to  be  the  object  of  his  chief  attention, 
though  as  regards  the  cause  of  his  interest  reports  are  un- 
certain. Time  runs  swiftly,  for  foreigners,  in  these  islands 
of  the  Eastern  sea,  and  the  periods  of  their  residence  are, 
in  most  cases,  so  brief  as  to  allow  no  extensive  range  of 
memory;  and,  as  the  modest  burial-plot  contains  no  stone 
or  tablet  to  assist  investigation,  it  is  an  unsettled  ques- 
tion whether  the  ground  is  tenanted  or  vacant.  As  nearly 
as  I  can  ascertain,  the  general  opinion  is  that  the  doctor, 
who  makes  no  secret  of  his  intention  never  to  leave  the  soil 
of  Japan,  has  chosen  this  as  his  last  tenement,  and  takes 
the  same  morbid  pleasure  in  keeping  it  well  prepared  for 
occupation  that  is  enjoyed  by  many  philosophers  who, 
in  the  prime  of  life,  choose  to  surround  themselves  with 
coffins,  skeletons,  and  other  emblems  of  mortality.  How 
far  this  surmise  is  correct  few  can  learn  with  exactness, 
during  his  life,  for  he  encourages  no  communication  on  the 
subject.  That  it  will  eventually  prove  well  founded,  to  a 
certain  extent,  there  is  no  doubt;  for,  whether  his  time  for 
everlasting  sleep  comes  soon  or  late,  his  resting-place  will 
surely  be  by  the  side  of  the  child  whom  he  loved  better 
than  any  other  being  in  all  the  world. 

THE    END. 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN,  273 


POSTSCRIPT. 


THE  story  is  ended;  but  upon  certain  questions  con- 
nected with  the  yet  unacknowledged  claims  of  the  Japanese 
people  to  confidence  and  support  from  Western  communi- 
ties, the  author  desires  to  append  a  few  observations  for 
perusal — let  us  say  for  private  and  confidential  perusal 
— by  those  readers  to  whom  he  has  succeeded  in  im- 
parting his  own  undisguised  convictions.  Others  may 
likewise  accompany  him,  if  they  choose;  they  shall  be 
heartily  welcome.  Let  it  be  understood,  however,  that 
they  do  so  of  their  own  free  will.  They  are  no  more 
under  compulsion  than  was  the  knightly  hero  of  Gadshill 
in  his  most  independent  mood. 

In  a  memorable  letter  to  Mrs.  Harriet  Beecher  Stowe, 
George  Eliot,  referring  to  a  conspicuous  vice  of  her  coun- 
trymen, uses  these  words: — "  Toward  all  Oriental  peoples 
with  whom  we  English  come  in  contact,  a  spirit  of  arro- 
gance and  contemptuous  di-ctatorialness  is  observable, 
which  has  become  a  national  disgrace  to  us."  Directing 
her  critical  outlook  to  a  broader  field,  she  adds: — "  There 
is  nothing  I  should  care  more  to  do,  ify  were  possible,  than 
to  arouse  the  imagination  of  men  and  women  to  a  vision  of 
human  claims  in  those  races  of  their  fellow-men  who  most 
differ  from  them  in  customs  and  beliefs." 

"  If  it  were  possible  !  " 

The  difficulty  of  the  task  was  strikingly  shown  in  the 
futility  of  the  eminent  Englishwoman's  effort  on  behalf  of 
a  race  which  is  in  no  true  sense  alien  to  the  civilization  of 


274  YONE  SANTO: 

Europe  and  America.  From  her  admitted  and,  by  herself, 
anticipated  failure  it  may  be  judged  how  infinitely  laborious 
is  the  work  of  those  who  struggle  to  secure  the  slightest 
semblance  of  justice  for  races  obviously  alien.  If  any 
doubt  in  this  matter  were  imagined  to  exist,  it  could 
speedily  be  dissipated  by  the  testimony  of  those  who,  dur- 
ing the  past  score  of  years,  have  striven  to  protect  the  fore- 
most of  Asiatic  nations  from  the  consequences  of  injurious 
foreign  association.  One  country  alone  has  vouchsafed 
these  advocates  even  a  partial  hearing.  Official  influences 
have  steadily  opposed  them,  and  powerful  interests  have 
united  to  counteract  their  endeavors.  In  no  part  of  Eu- 
rope is  it  generally  recognized  that  a  highly  intelligent  and 
progressive  Eastern  empire  is  held  in  subservience,  and  de- 
prived of  its  inherent  rights,  by  sheer  force  unjustly  and 
cruelly  exercised.  The  circumstances  are  known  to  many, 
but  parliaments  refuse  to  deal  with  them,  and  the  press  ex- 
cludes them  from  discussion.  Japan  is  thousands  of  miles 
away,  her  afflictions  are  beyond  the  range  of  enlightened 
sympathy,  and  the  amour»propre  of  sensitive  constituencies, 
must  not  be  wounded  by  disclosures  of  the  misdeeds  of 
their  representatives  in  distant  Asia.  Englishmen  must 
not  be  told  how  two  of  their  diplomatic  agents*  succes- 
sively forced  war  upon  a  people  guiltless  of  offense  by 
any  law  of  nations,  for  no  purpose  but  to  beat  into  them  a 
conviction  of  physical  inferiority  and  helplessness  to  with- 
stand spoliation.  They  must  not  learn  how  a  third  envoy, f 
by  fraudulent  and  mendacious  proclamations,  helped  his 
countrymen  to  fill  their  pockets  with  stolen  money;  in- 
trigued, in  shameless  violation  of  treaties,  to  promote  the 
infamous  opium  traffic;  and  instigated  a  weak-minded  and 
inexperienced  German  plenipotentiary];  to  break  down  the 
barriers  of  quarantine  at  a  perilous  crisis,  and  expose  avast 

*  Lieutenant-Colonel  Neale  and  Sir  Rutherford  Alcock. 

f  Sir  Harry  Smith  Parks. 

^Captain  Eisendecher;  afterward  German  Minister  at  Washington. 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  275 

population  to  the  ravages  of  cholera.  France,  Germany, 
and  the  other  continental  states  must  be  kept  in  ignorance 
of  all  the  abominations  which  their  emissaries  have  perpe- 
trated or  abetted.  It  is  a  far  cry  from  the  Pacific  Ocean  to 
the  capitals  of  modern  civilization,  and  the  voices  of  those 
who  call  for  retribution  can  always  be  over  borne  by  political 
and  commercial  clamor. 

Still,  the  labor  of  Japan's  adherents  has  not  been  wholly 
fruitless.  Public  conscience  in  the  United  States  has  been 
faintly  touched,  and  the  government  no  longer  finds  enjoy- 
ment in  playing  the  role  of  a  greedy  bully,  tormenting  and 
plundering  a  feeble  child.  The  promise  of  upright  inter- 
course for  the  future  has  not  yet  been  given,  but  a  degree  of 
atonement  has  been  offered  for  offenses  in  the  past.  One 
envoy  has  been  recalled  for  failing  to  remember  that  all 
the  privileges  of  the  Japanese  were  not  extinguished  by 
the  treacherous  treaties  they  were  compelled  to  sign. 
America's  share  of  the  money  wrung  from  an  impoverished 
treasury  by  threats  of  wholesale  slaughter  has  been  in  good 
measure  restored,  and  the  partnership  which  compelled  this 
country  to  cooperate  in  all  the  perfidious  acts  devised  by 
hostile  heads  of  legations  has  been  annulled.  The  early 
policy  of  Great  Britain  is  now  modified,  although  no  open 
acknowledgment  of  previous  error  is  vouchsafed.  The 
ruffian  who  was  empowered  for  fifteen  years  to  harass  and 
humiliate  an  unresisting  people  was  withdrawn  from  his 
field  of  activity  before  the  close  of  his  unprincipled  career, 
and  his  successors  were  given  to  understand  that  the 
aggressive  attitude  maintained  by  him  should  be  forever 
abandoned.  It  is  true  that  the  European  governments 
show  no  disposition  to  release  Japan  from  political  bond- 
age, but  there  is  little  likelihood  of  the  repetition  of  such 
appalling  enormities  as  were  once  committed  under  Ger- 
man warrant  and  with  the  sanction  of  the  entire  body  of 
allies,  America  alone  excepted.  It  is  improbable  that  any 
minister  will  hereafter  take  upon  himself  the  awful  respon- 


276  YONE  SANTO: 

sibility  of  scattering  destruction  broadcast,  on  the  soil  of 
Japan,  either  by  fire  and  the  sword  or  by  the  deadly 
plague. 

But  the  fact  remains  that  every  individual  who  lifts  his 
voice  in  rebuke  of  hardships  or  indignities  inflicted  upon 
this  much  enduring  country  has  to  reckon  upon  organized 
antagonism  from  innumerable  sources.  Sometimes  the 
obstacles  he  encounters  are  formidable  and  disheartening, 
requiring  sturdy  courage  and  inexhaustible  patience  to 
overcome  them.  Sometimes  they  take  a  form  so  prepos- 
terous as  to  place  them  outside  the  category  of-  serious 
demonstrations,  and  to  render  them  conspicuous  mainly 
as  examples  of  ludicrous  and  fantastic  spite.  The  latter, 
it  may  be  fairly  admitted,  are  often  none  the  less  vexa- 
tious for  having  about  them  a  flavor  of  unconscious  gro- 
tesqueness.  It  has  been  the  fortune  of  the  writer  of 
these  pages  to  undergo  almost  every  variety  of  annoy- 
ance, in  the  course  of  his  attempts  to  represent  the 
veritable  conditions  of  Japanese  life  and  society,  and  he  is 
by  no  means  sure  that  the  strongest  combinations  of  official 
and  mercantile  hostility  are  n.ot  more  easily  confronted  than 
the  subtler  and  craftier  operations  of  a  class  whose  capacity 
for  warfare  is  as  yet  imperfectly  appreciated.  The  ability 
of  this  class  to  conduct  an  aggressive  campaign  upon  lines 
peculiar  to  itself,  and  to  make  its  remarkable  strategy 
effective,  in  unexpected  ways,  has  been  signally  illustrated 
in  connection  with  the  simple  and  unpretending  work  of 
fiction  now  laid  before  the  public. 

Nothing  was  farther  from  the  author's  purpose  than  to 
offer,  in  "  Yone  Santo,"  a  p  lemical  treatise  under  the  dis- 
guise of  romance.  The  leading  motive  was  to  set  forth  the 
character  and  personality  of  a  Japanese  girl  of  the  present 
day,  and  to  exhibit  the  social  and  moral  conditions  by  which 
she  is  surrounded,  in  case  she  undertakes  to  participate  in 
the  rapid  intellectual  development  of  her  people.  Girls 
thus  inspired  are  not  uncommon  objects  of  interest  in  the 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  277 

newly  awakened  empire.  Only  those  who  know  the  diffi- 
culties of  their  position  can  understand  how  truly  and 
nobly  they  merit  the  sympathy,  respect  and  encouragement 
of  mankind.  In  existing  circumstances  they  are  almost  in- 
variably thrown  into  contact  with  one  or  another  of  the 
missionary  systems  that  have  been  planted  in  the  far  East. 
To  exclude  missionaries  from  the  career  of  the  Japanese 
girl  student  would  be  to  disregard  an  influence  from  which, 
in  the  large  cities,  she  rarely  escapes,  at  this  period  of  the 
nation's  advancement.  In  the  tale  just  concluded,  the 
heroine  is  temporarily  subjected  to  the  control  of  American 
protestant  teachers,  with  results  that  fail  to  be  deeply  inju- 
rious only  because  she  is  protected  from  evil  by  the  lofti- 
ness and  purity  of  her  nature.  The  missionary  episodes, 
however,  are  merely  incidental  to  the  narrative.  No  theo- 
logical topics  are  introduced  or  discussed,  at  any  point. 
The  religious  aspect  of  the  relations  between  pupils  and 
instructors  is  lightly  touched,  if  at  all.  It  scarcely  needs  to 
be  said  that  the  persons  represented  are  wholly  imaginary. 
Nothing  approaching  an  actual  portraiture  has  been 
attempted. 

The  story  originally  appeared  in  a  magazine  which  is 
held  to  represent  the  largest  liberality  of  thought  and  free- 
dom of  expression.  The  opening  chapters  were  printed  in 
January,  1888.  In  March,  three  months  later,  the  proprie- 
tors of  the  periodical  signified  their  desire  to  undertake  the 
publication  of  the  completed  work,  after  its  termination  as 
a  serial.  This  arrangement  was  not  in  accordance  with  the 
author's  first  intention,  but  he  was  naturally  gratified  at  the 
apparent  mark  of  confidence  and  approval,  and  he  cordially 
assented.  If  any  incident  of  the  transaction  merits  atten- 
tion, it  is  that  the  proposal  to  issue  the  book  proceeded 
from  the  distinguished  firm  of  publishers,  and  was  neither 
solicited  nor  looked  for  by  the  author.  A  contract  in  the 
usual  form  was  signed,  the  requisite  business  preliminaries 
were  adjusted,  and  the  labor  of  preparation  went  forward 


2;S  YONE  SANTO: 

undisturbed  until  the  end  of  May,  when  indications  of  dis- 
quietude and  doubt  began  to  be  visible.  The  missionary 
body  had  declared  its  dissatisfaction  with  the  novel,  and  its 
discontent  with  all  parties  concerned  in  the  production. 
Signs  of  displeasure  had,  indeed,  been  manifest  from  the 
beginning,  in  communications  which,  if  they  should  ever 
see  the  light,  would  leave  little  room  for  debate  as  to  the 
absurdity  and  audacity  of  missionary  pretensions.  But  for 
their  earnestness  and  intensity  of  tone,  they  might  have 
been  mistaken  for  elaborate  caricatures  of  the  overstrained 
and  artificial  diction  affected  by  all  grades  of  fanatical 
extremists.  Simultaneously,  a  flood  of  denunciation  and 
invective,  mostly  anonymous,  was  let  loose  upon  the  author. 
In  language  implying  a  closer  familiarity  with  the  vitu- 
perative rhetoric  of  melodrama,  or  the  realistic  phraseology 
of  modern  French  literature,  than  is  commonly  credited  to 
professors  of  religion,  the  delineator  of  Eastern  mission- 
ary methods  was  menaced  with  judgments  as  wildly  fero- 
cious as  the  nightmare  ecstasies  of  Dante's  visions.  Nor 
was  he  to  escape  punishment  of  corresponding  severity 
during  his  earthly  span.  His  name  was  to  be  made  execra- 
ble, and  his  reputation  blasted,  by  the  organs  of  the  church, 
in  appropriate  chastisement  for  his  impiety,  and  as  a  salu- 
tary warning  to  all  who  should  contemplate  following  in  his 
footsteps. 

That  these  extravagant  vaporings  could  be  solidified  into 
tangible  substance  seemed  repugnant  to  common  sense. 
Nevertheless,  their  effect  upon  the  publishers  in  question 
was  practical  and  decisive.  The  angry  protests  presently 
began  to  be  charged  with  a  threatening  significance  that 
could  not  be  overlooked  by  business  experience,  and  con- 
sultations were  held  by  the  members  of  the  firm,  to  consider 
what  steps  should  be  taken  to  appease  the  dangerous  ran- 
cor of  the  missionary  defenders.  The  process  of  intimida- 
tion by  personal  assault  upon  the  author  had  been  inaugu- 
rated in  a  leading  New  York  newspaper,  and  the  outlook 


A  CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  279 

was  evidently  more  disagreeable  than  could  have  been 
imagined  when  the  proposal  to  issue  the  volume  was  ten- 
dered. But  the  problem  of  reconciling  these  suddenly 
awakened  anxieties  with  the  stipulations  of  a  legal  contract 
was  an  awkward  one  to  solve.  The  situation  was  not 
without  embarrassment  to  men  of  honor  and  integrity. 
The  articles  of  agreement,  drawn  by  themselves,  at  their 
own  request,  had  been  exchanged  a  month  before,  and  their 
good  faith  was  pledged  for  the  fulfilment  thereof.  On  the 
other  hand,  it  could  not  be  expedient  for  them  to  incur  the 
lasting  resentment  of  one  of  the  most  potent  and  far- 
reaching  of  American  corporations.  By  repudiating  the 
compact  outright,  they  might  win  the  favor  of  the  organiza- 
tion, but  this  was  a  measure  which  no  amount  of  deliber- 
ation could  place  in  an  attractive  light.  The  claims  of  a 
single  inconspicuous  author  might,  indeed,  be  dismissed 
without  compunction;  but  the  character  of  the  house  for  rig- 
orously honest  dealing  could  not  be  so  lightly  tossed  aside. 
After  a  careful  examination  of  the  various  aspects  of  the 
case,  it  was,  however,  decided  that  the  weaker  should  go  to 
the  wall.  Having  adopted  this  conclusion,  the  pub- 
lishers notified  the  author  that,  while  they  were  not  opposed 
to  the  condemnation  of  "  individual  missionaries,"  they 
were  reluctant  to  become  the  medium  for  an  attack  upon 
"  the  whole  class;"  and  they  urged  a  revision  to  the  extent 
of  removing  that  objection.  The  proposition  was  received 
with  a  surprise  that  will  be  comprehended  when  it  is 
remembered  that  the  story  has  nothing  to  do  with  the 
"whole  class"  of  missionaries,  its  field  being  confined  to  a 
limited  district  in  one  of  the  smallest  of  Oriental  countries, 
and  its  incidents  including  the  actions  of  only  a  minority 
of  the  religious  delegates  there  settled.  But  the  author 
was  keenly  sensible  of  the  courtesy  shown  him  by  the  pub- 
lishers, up  to  this  time,  and  would  have  made  any  reasona- 
ble sacrifice  to  arrive  at  a  satisfactory  accommodation.  He 
pointed  out  the  absence  of  allusions  to  missionaries  in  any 


280  YONE  SANTO: 

part  of  the  world,  except  a  section  of  Japan,  and  drew 
attention  to  the  facts  that  no  representatives  of  the  Roman 
Catholic,  Greek,  or  English  churches  were  spoken  of;  that 
the  branch  of  medical  missionaries  was  especially  exempted 
from  criticism;  and  that  the  alleged  "  whole  class  "  conse- 
quently narrowed  itself  to  a  minute  group  stationed  at  a 
particular  spot  during  a  brief  specified  time.  He  suggested 
that  the  attempt  to  identify  this  contracted  circle  with  the 
entire  body  might  be  the  device  of  parties  whose  interest 
or  inclination  it  was  to  make  the  vast  system  responsible 
for  all  conceivable  irregularities  of  each  separate  member. 
Still,  since  he  had  not  designed  to  open  the  missionary 
question  in  a  broad  or  general  sense,  he  professed  his  will- 
ingness to  alter  or  expunge  any  portion  of  the  book  that 
could  be  interpreted  as  an  assault  upon  the  "  whole  class  " 
or  any  subdivision  of  the  "  whole  class,"  outside  of  the  ter- 
ritory of  Japan. 

The  correspondence  which  ensued  showed  the  mistake 
into  which  he  had  fallen.  It  was  no  longer  possible  to  sup- 
pose that  anything  in  the  shape  of  a  compromise  was 
really  desired.  What  the  publishers  aimed  at  was  to  rid 
themselves  of  the  requirement  to 'produce  the  volume  upon 
any  conditions.  They  reiterated  the  groundless  allegation 
that  the  whole  missionary  body  was  assailed, — omitting, 
however,  to  offer  anything  resembling  a  specification, — and 
proceeded  to  formulate  demands  which  could  not  for  a 
moment  be  admitted  to  consideration,  and  probably  were 
not  intended  to  be.  There  was  no  escape  from  the  convic- 
tion that  they  had  succumbed  to  a  pressure  which,  over- 
stepping the  boundaries  of  remonstrance,  had  finally  hard- 
ened itself  into  virtual  prohibition.  The  American  mis- 
sionaries had  resolved  that  the  story  should  not  be  circulated 
in  book  form,  if  they  could  prevent  it.  The  Boston  pub- 
lishers saw  no  course  open  to  them  but  to  submit,  even  at 
the  cost  of  disavowing  the  document  by  which  they  were 
bound.  That  they  hesitated  before  committing  themselves 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  281 

to  this  determination  is  not  to  be  wondered  at.  It  is  an 
ugly  thing  to  break  a  contract,  even  when  there  is  no  like- 
lihood of  being  held  to  legal  account  for  the  violation  of 
faith;  and  it  can  scarcely  have  been  with  enviable  feelings 
that  these  gentlemen  brought  the  negotiations  to  a  close  by 
informing  the  author,  in  plain  and  unmistakable  terms, 
that  it  would  not  be  to  his  "  interest  "  for  them  to  pro- 
duce the  book.  In  the  face  of  this  announcement,  fur- 
ther persistence  would  have  been  a  waste  of  time  and 
energy.  The  duplicate  articles  of  agreement  were  annulled, 
the  publishers'  copy  receiving,  at  their  hands,  a  culminating 
embellishment  in  the  sardonic  inscription — "  cancelled  by 
mutual  consent;  " — than  which  nothing  could  more  neatly 
and  harmoniously  crown  the  now  completed  structure  of 
evasion  and  pretence. 

The  importance  of  these  details  would  be  infinitesimal  if 
their  personal  bearing  alone  were  to  be  considered.  It  is 
possible,  however,  that,  as  a  disclosure  of  extraordinary 
authority  assumed  and  exerted  by  a  combination  of  perse- 
vering men,  the  recital  may  receive  attention  from  those 
who  cherish  the  illusion  that  impediments  to  absolute  free- 
dom of  speech  do  not  exist  in  this  part  of  the  world.  The 
missionary  body  certainly  found  means  to  impose  their  will 
upon  one  great  publishing  firm,  and  there  are  reasons  for 
believing  that  their  censorial  decree  would  have  been 
operative  upon  others,  and  the  extinction  of  the  novel 
secured,  but  for  the  intercession  of  friends  who  brought  it 
to  the  notice  of  a  house  in  whose  transactions  the  words 
"  liberality,"  "  courage  "  and  "  independence  "  have  a  defi- 
nite meaning.  Far  be  it  from  the  author  to  assert  that 
there  are  not  many  of  the  kind;  but  circumstances  which 
need  not  be  obtruded  on  the  public  disabled  him  from 
making  search  for  them,  and  he  is  gratefully  conscious  that 
to  the  impulse  of  fair  play,  aroused  in  the  first  instance  by 
the  demonstrations  of  the  missionary  fraternity,  he  owes 
the  rescue  of  his  book,  by  Messrs.  Belford,  Clarke  &  Co., 


282  YONE  SANTO: 

from  the  oblivion  to  which  the  members  of  that  fraternity, 
and  their  instruments,  would  have  condemned  it. 

A  word  upon  the  general  subject  of  missionary  move- 
ments in  Japan  may  not  be  out  of  place.  Political  danger 
from  this  source  has  not  yet  been  seriously  apprehended  by 
those  who  are  watchful  for  the  empire's  future  welfare, 
although  the  proceedings  of  the  Greek  Church  have  at 
times  excited  anxiety,  that  establishment  constituting  a 
strong  element  of  Russian  domination.  The  evils  intro- 
duced by  the  religious  colonists,  especially  those  from 
America,  are  rather  of  a  social  character.  If  the  operations 
of  these  emissaries  were  not  restricted  to  a  very  limited 
class,  and  if  they  were  not  largely  counteracted  by  the 
acuteness  of  those  to  whom  they  are  applied,  the  effect 
would  often  be  deplorable.  As  it  is,  the  influence  is  so 
narrowly  exerted  that  only  a  fragment  of  the  population  can 
be  affected  by  it.  After  laboring  a  score  of  years,  with 
every  advantage  and  facility  accorded  them,  the  Americans 
can  point  to  but  a  few  thousand  proselytes,  even  according 
to  their  own  reckoning,  the  accuracy  of  which  is  not  satis- 
factorily established.*  It  is  a  fact  of  no  little  significance 
that  the  adherents  of  the  Roman  and  Greek  Churches  out- 
number the  disciples  of  Protestantism  to  an  extent  indicat- 
ing great  inferiority  of  system  on  the  part  of  the  propagand- 
ists of  the  latter  creed.  If  the  financial  agents  of  the 
several  United  States  Boards  could  be  persuaded  to  publish 
the  authentic  and  certified  cost  of  conversion,  per  head,  the 
disclosure  would  be  so  startling  as  probably  to  completely 
revolutionize  the  existing  organizations, — at  least  so  far  as 

*  It  is  difficult  to  discover,  from  the  various  reports  of  American 
missionary  bodies,  the  precise  number  of  converts  claimed  by  them. 
However  liberally  calculated,  the  total  cannot  be  considered  to  exceed 
five  or  six  thousand, — basing  the  computation  upon  their  own  records. 
Mr.  W.  E.  Griffis  has,  indeed,  given  a  somewhat  higher  estimate;  but 
this  gentleman's  recent  publications  have  so  discredited  him  as  an 
authority  upon  current  Japanese  political  and  social  questions,  that  no 
unsupported  assertion  of  his  can  be  safely  accepted. 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAAr.  283 

Japan  is  concerned.  But  this  they  will  never  do.  They 
know  too  well  that  such  a  revelation  would  shatter  the 
foundations  of  their  comfortable  fabric,  and  put  an  end  to 
the  blind  credulity  by  which  they  have  so  long  profited. 

Without  discussing  the  methods  of  administration  in 
other  parts  of  the  world,  it  is  undeniable  that  in  Japan  a 
complete  indifference  to  the  needs  of  the  situation  is  dis- 
played. That  the  average  native  standard  of  intelligence 
is  higher  than  that  of  the  religious  teachers  sent  from  this 
country,  few  will  dispute,  except,  perhaps,  the  delegates 
themselves.  It  is  the  grossest  of  absurdities  to  deal  with  a  ^ 
sagacious,  quick-witted  and  keenly  perceptive  people  as  if 
they  were  a  race  of  sodden  barbarians.  Men  and  women 
are  deputed  to  the  wide-awake  eastern  extremity  of  Asia 
whose  more  appropriate  field  would  be  the  interior  of 
Africa, —  if,  indeed,  they  could  be  useful  anywhere.  Un- 
doubtedly there  are  exceptions,  but  the  majority  are  in 
no  reasonable  sense  qualified  for  the  delicate  task  of 
engrafting  the  civilization  of  the  West  upon  the  ancient 
Oriental  stock.  Such  is  the  clumsiness  and  ineptitude  of 
their  processes  that  they  would  be  rejected  altogether, 
were  it  not  that  a  certain  number  of  the  Japanese  youth, 
hungry  for  knowledge,  can  find  no  opportunities  of  study 
but  those  offered  in  the  foreign  seminaries.  The  minds  of 
many  of  these  are  subjected  to  courses  of  training  more 
or  less  baneful,  according  to  their  faculty  of  discrimination 
and  resistance.  As  applied  to  girls,  these  courses  are  fre- 
quently calculated  to  uproot  the  principles  upon  which 
their  moral  security  depends,  without  providing  any  trust- 
worthy substitute.  The  neophytes  are  expected  to  accept, 
with  humility  and  thankfulness,  the  utterly  false  theory 
that  they  are  born  with  inordinate  propensities  to  vice, 
which  can  be  eradicated  only  by  an  unconditional  adop- 
tion of  the  Christian  faith;  and  a  distinguishing  feature  of 
the  Christian  faith,  as  inculcated  by  American  professors, 
is  its  fanatical  enmity  to  the  domestic  sentiment  and  con- 


284  YONE  SANTO: 

viction  of  the  land.  Devotion  to  parents  and  reverence  for 
ancestors  are  the  foundations  upon  which  Japanese  morality 
has  always  rested.  To  weaken  them  is  to  deprive  society 
of  its  only  sure  safeguards.  Yet  it  is  the  business  of  mis- 
sionaries to  declare  the  worthlessness  of  family  ties,  as 
compared  with  the  obligations  of  the  new  religion,  and  to 
consign  to  spiritual  perdition  all  who  have  lived  in  the 
past.  The  same  authority  that  commissions  them  to  con- 
fer grace  upon  the  few  who  submit  to  their  teaching  also 
requires  them  to  proclaim  unqualified  damnation  to  the 
countless  dead. 

The  Japanese  rulers  are  well  aware  that  the  assumption 
of  Christianity,  as  a  state  religion,  would  smooth  away 
many  of  their  international  complications.  It  is  a  scandal 
to  the  enlightenment  of  the  nineteenth  century  that  the  rec- 
ognition of  a  nation's  inherent  rights  should  be  more  or 
less  dependent  upon  a  mere  formal  declaration  of  faith,  but 
such  is  the  fact,  and  the  imperial  government  is  in  duty 
bound  to  take  advantage  of  it.  At  any  time  we  may  expect 
to  hear  that  Japan  has  become  a  Christian  country,  pre- 
cisely as  she  has  adopted  the  Gregorian  calendar  and  other 
western  institutions,  in  order  to  facilitate  her  admission  to 
the  circle  of  independent  sovereign  states.  Do  the  mission- 
aries regard  this  prospect  with  satisfaction  ?  By  no  means. 
Perpetual  paganism  is  preferable,  in  their  estimation,  to 
any  form  of  Christianity  not  prescribed  and  regulated  by 
their  body.  No  church  is  worth  a  farthing  that  is  not 
.  built  upon  their  particular  fragment  of  rock,  and  fash- 
ioned according  to  their  models.  Let  the  whole  forty 
millions  of  people  worship  false  gods,  or  no  gods  at  all, 
to  all  eternity,  they  say,  rather  than  embrace  an  "  infe- 
rior "  type  of  theology.  Inferior  to  what  ?  The  leaders 
of  Japanese  intelligence  will  be  slow  to  admit  that 
any  variety  of  creed  can  be  inferior,  for  their  pur- 
pose, to  one  which  repudiates  what  is  best  in  their 
social  system,  and  affords  encouragement  to  that  which 


A   CHILD  OF  JAPAN.  285 

most  disfigures  it; — which  commands  its  subscribers 
to  renounce  the  tender  and  sacred  bonds  of  kindred  and 
ancestry,  and  to  accept  as  an  infallible  guide  a  book  that  n 
sanctions  and  glorifies  vices  which  the  native  morality  is 
doing  its  best  to  eradicate.*  When  the  government  decides 
upon  this  important  step,  it  may  be  trusted  to  devise  some 
simple  and  rational  scheme,  congenial  to  the  instincts  of 
the  populace,  consistent  with  its  needs,  unsullied  by  obso- 
lete superstitions,  free  from  the  degrading  contaminations 
of  the  Old  Testament,  and  based  upon  a  higher  and  purer 
humanity  than  that  which  the  brotherhood  of  American 
missionaries  looks  to  as  the  source  of  its  official  inspiration. 

*  In  a  pamphlet  recently  issued  by  the  American  Board  of  Commis- 
sioners for  Foreign  Missions  it  is  stated  that  the  whole  of  the  Old 
Testament  has  been  printed  in  a  dialect  familiar  to  Japanese  scholars, 
and  that  two-thirds  of  the  same  compilation  are  circulated  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  common  people, 


. 


BELFORD'S 
MHGHZINE. 

DONN   PIATT,  EDITOR. 

Washington,  D.  C.  July  16,  1888. 

We  have  examined  BELFORDS  MAGAZINE;  find  that  in  its 
political  tone  and  contents  it  is  distinctly  and  thoroughly  demo- 
cratic; of  high  literary  merit,  and  we  take  pleasure  in  commending 
it  to  all  who  want  a  fair,  able  and  fearless  exponent  of  sound 
principles,  combined  with  the  literature  of  a  first-class  Magazine. 

^DON  M.  DICKINSON,  P.  M.  Genl. 

A.  E.  STEVENSON,  1st  Asst.  P.  M.  G. 
ELI  SAULSBURY,  U.  S.  S. 

E.  C.  WALTHALL,  U.  S.  S. 

W.  G.  SUMNER,  Professor,  Yale  Col. 

JAMES  K.  JONES,  U.  S    S. 

R.  Q.  MILLS,  M.  C. 

JAMES  H.  BKRRY,  U    S.  S. 

JAMES  L.  PUGH,  U.  S.  S. 

H   B,  PAYNE,  U.  S.  S. 

C.  C.  MATSON,  M.  C. 

R.  W.  TOWNSHEND,  M.  C. 

J.  H.  OUTHWAITE,  M.  C. 

H.  H.  CARLTON,  M.  G 

J.  C.  CLEMENS,  M.  C. 

B.  F.  SHIVELY,  M.  C. 
WM.  C.  OATES,  M.  C. 
W.  J.  STONR,  M.  C. 
P.  T    GLASS,  M.  C. 

C.  T.  O'FERRALL,  M.  C. 

F.  T.  SHAW,  M.  C. 

J   R.  WHITING,  M.  C. 
S.  Z.  LANDES,  M.  C 
ALEX.  M.  DOCKERY.  M.  C. 
T.  C.  McRAE,  M.  C. 
JOHN  E.  HUTTON,  M.  C. 
H    W.  RUSK,  M.  C. 
THOMAS  E.  POWELL 

BELFORD'S  MONTHLY  is  a  first-class  medium  for  advertising, 
as  the  publishers  guarantee  a  bona-fide  circulation  of  at  least  70,000 
copies  per  month. 

Prices,  $2.50  a  year,  or  25  cents  per  number. 

BELFORD,  CLARKE  &  CO.,  Publishers 

CHICAGO.         NEW  YORK.         SAN  FRANCISCO. 


A.  H.  GARLAND,  Attorney  General. 
JOHN  M.  BLACK,  Com.  of  Pensions. 
D.  W.  VOORHEES,  U.  S.  S. 
JAMES  B.  BECK,  U.  S.  S. 
JOS.  C.  S.  BLACKBURN,  U.  S.  S. 
J.  R.  McPHERSON,  U.  S.  S. 
JOHN  W.  DANIEL,  U.  S.  S 
JOHN  H.  REAGAN,  U.  S.  S. 
Z.  B.  VANCE,  U.  S,  S. 
M.  C.  BUTLER,  U.  S.  S. 
JAS.  Z.  GEORGE,  U.  S.  S. 
WADE  HAMPTON,  U.  S.  S. 
C.  B.  BRECKINRIBGE,  M.  C. 
W.  C    WHITTHORNE,  M.  C. 
THOMAS  WILSON,  M.  C. 
JOS.  WHEELER.  M    C. 
MELBOURNE  H.  FORD,  M.  C. 
GEORGE  A.  ANDERSON,  M.  C. 
THOMAS  R.  HUDD,  M.  C. 
BENTON  McMILLIN,  M.  C. 
JAMES  PHELAN,  M.  C. 
JOHN  H.  ROGERS,  M.  C 
T.  M.  NORWOOD.  M.  C. 
JAMES  N.  BURNS,  M.  C. 
HENRY  GEORGE. 


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